BJP weaponising 'Vande Mataram' to push polarisation agenda: Maharashtra Cong leader
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Congress on Friday accused the BJP of manufacturing an "unfortunate and needless" controversy over 'Vande Mataram' in Maharashtra.
The opposition party's spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party was using the national song to target minority legislators and push its "polarisation agenda".
Sawant pointed out that BJP workers had held a 'Vande Mataram' singing event outside the offices of Congress MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel earlier this week in a "clear attempt to intimidate and malign elected representatives from the minority community".
"The BJP is trying to create communal fault lines by weaponising Vande Mataram," Sawant claimed.
He said there was a state government's directive asking Mantralaya officials to answer phone calls with 'Vande Mataram'.
"This circular has nothing to do with administration and everything to do with theatrics. Governance has collapsed, so they are resorting to symbolic nationalism," Sawant alleged.
On November 24, the Rajya Sabha secretariat reminded members not to use slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind' inside or outside the House, citing it as a breach of parliamentary etiquette.
Referring to it, Sawant said the BJP was contradicting its own stance.
"At one place they use Vande Mataram to divide people, and in Parliament they impose restrictions on the same slogans. What explains this hypocrisy? Those who did not have the courage to utter Vande Mataram during British rule have now imposed curbs on the slogan inside the temple of democracy," Sawant asserted.
This is the height of BJP's double standards and hollow nationalism, he said and sought a response from the BJP's Maharashtra leadership.
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Former Assam Cong chief Bhupen Borah joins BJP
Guwahati (PTI): Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah on Sunday joined the ruling BJP in the presence of its state unit president Dilip Saikia here.
Borah became a BJP member during a function held at the Assam BJP headquarters 'Vajpayee Bhawan'.
Along with him, former Congress worker Sanju Bora, too, joined the saffron party.
Borah had resigned on February 16, with the Congress high command not accepting it and senior leaders rushing to his residence, while Rahul Gandhi also spoke to him.
He had asked for time to reconsider his decision, but the next day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went to his residence and announced that he would join the BJP on February 22.
The 126-member Assam assembly is expected to go to polls in March-April.
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam | Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah joins the BJP in the presence of State BJP President Dilip Saikia, BJP MP Baijayant Panda. pic.twitter.com/VIJcIa2xJ8
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2026
