Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Friday accused the BJP of “misusing” the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ for political polarisation and “hypocritical nationalism.”

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said reports that party MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel opposed singing the song were “false, shameful, and condemnable.” He added that both MLAs had explicitly stated they had no objection to the song.

“If BJP leaders wish to sing Vande Mataram, they are welcome to come inside our offices and sing, not outside to create a spectacle,” Sawant said, accusing the BJP of deliberately targeting Muslim legislators to stoke religious divisions.

He further claimed that while Congress freedom fighters sang ‘Vande Mataram’ as a symbol of resistance against British rule, the BJP treats it as an electoral tool. “For us, it’s a song of sacrifice and pride. For them, it’s a showpiece,” Sawant said.

Congress MLA Amin Patel of Mumbadevi welcomed the idea of BJP workers singing the song but noted, “I would have welcomed them personally, but they plan to come when I am not around. Patriotism is in our blood; it shouldn’t be politicised.”

The row comes amid nationwide celebrations marking 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, originally composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and incorporated into his 1882 novel Anandamath.

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