Akhilesh Yadav Targets BJP: 'Those Who Didn't Fight For Freedom Cannot Know Vande Mataram's Value'

In a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram' in the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the ruling BJP. Speaking after Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, Yadav emphasised that the national song was a source of energy during the freedom struggle. He criticised the BJP, stating, 'Those who did not participate in the freedom movement, what will they know of the importance of Vande Mataram.' Yadav recalled that the British banned the song from 1905 to 1908 but revolutionaries kept it alive. He also questioned the BJP's commitment to secularism, referencing the party's formation in Mumbai where they pledged to follow a secular path and the ideals of Jay Prakash Narayan. He asserted that 'Vande Mataram is not just for singing, it should be for living by' and accused the ruling party of using it to divide rather than unite the nation.