New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, launched a sharp attack on the Congress, alleging that the party once fractured the national song under pressure from the Muslim League and “knelt before them”.

PM Modi said the British had long pursued a divide-and-rule policy, choosing Bengal as their first target. “That was a time when Bengal’s strength inspired the country. In 1905, when the British divided Bengal, Vande Mataram stood like a rock. ‘Street to street’ was the slogan for Bengal’s unity, and that slogan continued to inspire,” he recalled.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi’s 1905 writings in ‘Indian Opinion’, PM Modi reminded the House that Gandhi had described Vande Mataram as “our national anthem” and “more melodious tha

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