New Delhi: During the Lok Sabha session marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress, saying the party had previously split the national song under pressure from the Muslim League and had “knelt before them”. He said such actions in the past reflected political compromises that weakened national unity.

PM Modi said the British had relied on a divide-and-rule strategy for years, and Bengal became their first focus. He noted that Bengal’s spirit once energized the entire nation. Recalling the events of 1905, he said Vande Mataram became a powerful force of resistance when the British partitioned Bengal. “Street to street” was the call for unity, he said, and that message continued to inspire people across the country.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi’s 19

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