The BJP on Sunday (August 16, 2026) alleged that opposing anything patriotic is the Congress' policy and asked if anyone believing in the sovereignty and integrity of India would get "angry" over the invocation of Vande Mataram on Independence Day.

The ruling party demanded that the Congress publicly apologise within 24 hours for the "insult" to the national song if it has even an "iota" of patriotism.

The remarks came in the wake of the BJP's allegations that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge showed "utter disrespect" towards Vande Mataram when it was sung at the party's Independence Day event on Friday (August 14).

The Congress denied the allegation, asserting that there was no attempt to stop the singing of the full version of the national song and that Sonia Gandhi was only asking for a chair for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge as he had been standing for some time.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Opposition to Vande Mataram by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi on Independence Day points towards a mindset of a "dimagi Naxal ecosystem".

"Can any patriot, can any Indian who believes in the Constitution of India, respects the Tricolour of India, respects India's freedom fighters and believes in India's sovereignty and integrity, ever get angry at the invocation of Vande Mataram on Independence Day?" he said.

"The Congress has not only insulted the freedom fighters but also the Constitution of this country, its sovereignty and integrity, and the 140 crore people of this country," Mr. Bhandari said.

The "dimagi Naxal" reference came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address to the nation, in which he warned against "dimagi Naxals" who have entrenched themselves in the system and urged people to identify and isolate them.

Accusations against Congress

Flag hoisting by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former president of AICC, Sonia Gandhi

He alleged that Sonia Gandhi gestured to stop the singing of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters and later expressed her anger when it continued.

"If you look carefully at the video, when Vande Mataram is being invoked at the Congress Party headquarters, Sonia Gandhi indicates with her hand that they should stop. She gestures that Vande Mataram should be stopped at the Congress Party headquarters.”

"When she is not listened to, she again gestures for the second time and says that it must be stopped." Mr. Bhandari claimed Rahul Gandhi could be heard saying, "We don't need to sing Vande Mataram" after its rendition was completed and played a purported audio clip before the media.

The BJP spokesperson said Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should apologise within 24 hours to every patriotic Indian who is "deeply angry and enraged" by the Congress' conduct.

He alleged that the Congress' Opposition to Vande Mataram is part of its policy of opposing anything patriotic and questioned whether Rahul Gandhi is fit to be the Leader of Opposition.

"Any leader of Opposition who considers the Parliament of this country supreme can never insult the national song," Mr. Bhandari said.

He also alleged that the Congress government in Kerala skipped Vande Mataram at an official event, saying this shows that the party's conduct at its headquarters is not an isolated incident.

Mr. Bhandari also attacked senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram over his response to Modi's "dimagi Naxal' remark. Chidambaram on Sunday (August 16) said he is proud to be a 'dimagi Naxal'.

"And this country's Gen Z and youth are Gen P, Gen Patriotic, Gen Nationalist. They know that on Independence Day, when 140 crore Indians are holding the tricolour, celebrating with happiness and pride and taking the resolve of Viksit Bharat 2047 under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, only the Gandhi-Vadra family, only Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the Congress ecosystem, have a problem," he added.