Cong hits back at PM Modi, calls him 'master distorian'
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi "master distorian" after he accused the party of breaking the national song Vande Mataram into pieces, and demanded that he apologise for "insulting" the country's founding fathers, including Rabindranath Tagore.
The party also slammed the prime minister for accusing Jawaharlal Nehru of following appeasement politics.
"The Master Distorian has repeated his insult of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore today in Parliament. The Master Distorian of a PM must render an apology. He has insulted our founding fathers and most of all Tagore himself," AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
ALSO READ: Nation was under Emergency when Vande Mataram completed 100 years: PM Modi in LS
Sharing pages of the biography of Tagore, Ramesh said, "Here are pages 110-112 from vol 4 of the authoritative biography in Bengali of Rabindranath Tagore titled Rabindra-Jeebanee by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay, published by Visva-Bharati in 1994."
"Nehru is being accused of appeasement. But will the PM--the Master Distorian-- answer: 1. Which Indian leader formed a coalition in Bengal in the early 1940s with the person who moved the Pakistan resolution in Lahore in March 1940? It was Syama Prasad Mookerjee. 2. Which Indian leader applauded Jinnah in Karachi in June 2005? It was LK Advani. 3. Which Indian leader praised Jinnah in his book 2009? It was Jaswant Singh," Ramesh said in another post.
He was reacting to Prime Minister Modi's remarks that the Constitution was "throttled" and the nation chained by the Emergency when national song Vande Mataram completed 100 years.
Initiating a day-long discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, Modi noted that Vande Mataram stood like a rock and inspired unity despite British oppression.
Modi cited a letter written by Nehru to Subhash Chandra Bose claiming that the background of Vande Mataram could antagonise Muslims.
He said the letter was written following a protest by Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Lucknow.
ALSO READ: In a first, Meitei MLA visits Kuki relief camp in Manipur
Quoting the letter, Modi said, Nehru had written that he had read the background of the song and it could spark anger amongst Muslims.
Modi said later Congress convened a session in "Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Bengal" to review the use of Vande Mataram.
"But, on October 26, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram. They broke it into pieces under the mask of social harmony, but history is witness ..This was Congress' attempt at politics of appeasement. Under pressure of politics of appeasement, Congress agreed to divide Vande Mataram.. this is the reason Congress also bowed to the demand for partition..," Modi alleged.
The prime minister said history is a testament to the fact that Congress knelt before the Muslim League and did this under pressure.
"This is an instance of the politics of appeasement of the Congress. Because it bowed to the division of Vande Mataram, it bowed to the division of India later on.
"Congress has maintained the same politics of appeasement even today," he asserted amid thumping of desks by treasury benches.
The Master Distorian has repeated his insult of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore today in Parliament. https://t.co/SQyDX1MLPx
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 8, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chhattisgarh caps commercial LPG supply, sets timeline for domestic refill booking
Raipur, Mar 26 (PTI): The Chhattisgarh government has capped the supply of commercial LPG cylinders at 20 per cent of the previous month’s consumption, while directing time-bound online refill booking for domestic consumers, officials said on Thursday.
Based on available stock, priority categories for LPG supply have been identified. These include educational institutions, hospitals, military and paramilitary camps, jails, hotels, social welfare institutions, railway and airport canteens, government offices, guest houses, animal feed units, and restaurants, an official statement said.
The decision was taken on Wednesday during a review meeting of regional managers of oil companies, chaired by the state's food department secretary, Reena Baba Saheb Kangale, to assess LPG availability and streamline the distribution system in the state amid supply concerns following the West Asia conflict.
ALSO READ: Karnataka govt urges people to ignore rumours on petrol, diesel shortage
It was decided in the meeting that commercial LPG consumers, including institutions and establishments, will now receive a maximum of 20 per cent of their total consumption from the previous month, the statement said.
To ensure timely access for domestic users, the government has directed that online LPG refill booking facilities be made available within 25 days in urban areas and within 45 days in rural areas, it said.
The meeting focused on ensuring equitable distribution of LPG based on availability, with priority to essential consumer institutions.
District administrations have been instructed to ensure security arrangements at LPG distributor offices and warehouses with the help of police and home guards to prevent overcrowding and disorder. Distributors have also been directed to keep their telephone lines active and address consumer complaints promptly, the release said.
ALSO READ: LPG supply to be cut off if households refuse PNG switch where available: Govt order
It was also decided that oil companies will conduct daily reviews of commercial LPG stock and distribution, and regularly share updates with the department.
Senior officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department and representatives of Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation attended the meeting.
