During a discussion on Vande Mataram in the Upper House on Wednesday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of distorting history and alleged that the motive behind holding a debate on the national song was to malign India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders from the ruling party, claiming they “set out to be historians but end up becoming ‘distorians’”.

Ramesh cited letters exchanged between several leaders — including Subhas Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Rajendra Prasad and Nehru — over Vande Mataram.

“Prasad wrote to Patel on September 28, 1937, raising concerns prevalent in large sections of our political system about Vande Mataram, and asking that the Congress Working Committee

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