BJP MLAs Don't Know Vande Mataram Fully: Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at the BJP after its legislators recited full version of Vande Mataram in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council, state Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday claimed that the opposition leaders and members struggled to pronounce the words in the last two stanzas correctly.

He reiterated that the BJP leaders did not know the full version of the national song, pointing out that they tried to refer to the lyrics while reciting it.

The BJP legislators sang the full version of Vande Mataram at the beginning of the Karnataka Assembly and Council proceedings on Monday, when the officially played recording in both Houses ended after two stanzas.

"They (BJP) tried to recite the full Vande Mataram. This is what I have also said, they don't know the song fully. I had said the other day that they should recite the last two stanzas without seeing a paper, phone, or teleprompter. They claim that they know the song in full by heart, but you saw them today, they were unable to pronounce those words," Kharge told reporters.

He said the remaining stanzas of Vande Mataram were difficult to pronounce as they contain Bengali words.

"It will be difficult for all of us from this region, even you (the media). The two stanzas we have learnt from our childhood, we know that much correctly. Most of the remaining bit is in Bangla. The remaining part was added five-six years after Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed the first two stanzas; the addition was made when he later wrote the novel Anandamath," he added.

Noting that freedom fighters whether Hindus or Muslims drew inspiration from the first two stanzas and raised slogans during the freedom struggle, the Minister asked, "where was the BJP then?"

"If BJP has so much interest in national song, let them stop singing the RSS song 'Namaste Sada Vatsale' and start practising this (Vande Mataram). But what I said is proved -- they don't know it (Vande Mataram) fully. Look how they recited individually..." he added.

Last week, Kharge challenged BJP leaders including Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and party state president B Y Vijayendra to recite Vande Mataram in full at a public gathering without referring to paper, a mobile phone, or a teleprompter, saying he would resign if they did so.

He had thrown the challenge while hitting back at BJP for its criticism of the Congress government's order that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung at its programmes, except those attended by the president, vice-president, prime minister or governor.

Questioning why the full rendition of Vande Mataram rules is being brought up now and not when the BJP was earlier in power in either the state or the Centre, Kharge said, "it is very clear that it is political."

"13 years you (BJP) have been in power at the centre, but you have brought this now. Your intent is very clear," he added.