Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre has vigorously defended participation of the Congress party in the freedom struggle in India as the debate continues to be on the two-stanza version of Vande Mataram as well.
Khandre says that the Congress had been involved in the independence struggle and contributed to the growth of India after independence. He also hit out at the opposition and said that those who did not participate in the freedom struggle, were not arrested and were not given a right to challenge the Congress about the history of India or national identity.
The remarks are part of a larger political debate of Vande Mataram, one of India’s most popular patriotic songs. The song has a special place in the history of India’s freedom movement and the nationalist movement and it was seen as an icon of resistance against British colonial rule as it was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. It has been a topic of political discussion over its lyrics, official use and which parts should be sung or recognised.
Khandre said he thought of Congress leaders' sacrifices in India's struggle for independence. He said the party fought for freedom and said many Congress leaders sacrificed their lives for the integrity and unity of the country. His comments aimed to place the present political discussion in the larger historical context of India’s independence movement.
In his statement, the minister also targeted opposition parties and questioned their role in the freedom struggle. Khandre claimed that the opposition did not participate in the independence movement in the same way as in the independence movement and were not imprisoned for freedom fighting. He used this argument to oppose their criticism of Congress for the country’s national history and symbols and India’s state symbols.
The Vande Mataram debate has relevance to India as the song is especially important in the political and cultural history of the country. The song is a symbol of patriotism but there is also debate about its different stanzas throughout time. The first two stanzas are generally associated with the song’s use in public, while the full composition has many other verses. Political disputes over the matter have been frequently linked to larger issues of history, nationalism, cultural identity and the freedom struggle of the country.
Khandre’s comments give the debate a political dimension, linking the Vande Mataram debate to the historic role political organisations played in the independence struggle. His comment is consistent with Congress’ view that its role in India’s freedom struggle should be recognised in political parties’ discussions of national symbols, and history of independence.
The current controversy also shows how history still affects Indian politics. Questions about patriotic songs, national symbols and the freedom movement can quickly become politically charged because they are largely intertwined with competing interpretations of India’s history. Party leaders and organisations frequently mention the role of their leaders and organisations in these debates.
The sacrifices of its leaders are still central to Congress’s historical story. The party has frequently pointed to the role of its leaders and workers in the freedom movement and the imprisonment and political campaigning to resist British rule in the past. Opposition parties, however, have their own historical interpretations of the freedom struggle and India’s post-independence politics.
The current exchange goes beyond the issue of how many stanzas of Vande Mataram should be used. It has become a political fight over who is to speak about India’s independence movement and national identity. Khandre’s comments seek to stress Congress’s historical credentials while questioning the basis of criticism from political opponents.
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On Vande Mataram 'two-stanza' debate, Minister Eshwar Khandre says, "... Congress has fought for independence and is responsible for the overall development of the country. Congress leaders sacrificed their lives for the integrity and unity of the… pic.twitter.com/lX6DoobLQn
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2026
And as the debate goes on, Vande Mataram is still a potent cultural symbol of India; it has a long history of being associated with India's national movement. Political and public discussion regarding this will be in the news for quite some time now, especially when patriotism, historical memory and national identity are raised in public.
Khandre’s comments have therefore added another layer to the discussion, and the Congress party’s historic role in India’s freedom struggle. It will also be part of the larger political discussion of Vande Mataram and the legacy of the independence struggle and the competing narrative that is shaping India’s public life.
