The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed sharp exchanges for a second day between the government and the Opposition as the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram transformed into a wider political confrontation.

Initiating the discussion, Home Minister Amit Shah urged Members of Parliament to inculcate the spirit of Vande Mataram among the younger generation, calling the national song a timeless symbol of India’s unity and civilisational pride. Shah said the song, which guided India’s freedom struggle, would continue to shine a light on the country's progress in the coming days.

However, the Opposition struck back sharply. Beginning his address with a ringing chant of Vande Mataram, Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge launched a blistering counterattack, accusing the BJP of appropriating patriotic symbols while neglecting urgent national concerns.

Shah told the lower house, “Vande Mataram helped India gain freedom, and it will help make the country Viksit.” He also declared that the government would celebrate the song’s 150th anniversary on a grand scale throughout the year.

Shah attacked the Congress over what he called its historical discomfort with the national song. He claimed that certain Congress MPs had even opposed singing Vande Mataram in the past and said he would place their names on the House record.

Recalling past political conflicts, he remarked, “When Vande Mataram turned 100, opposition leaders were thrown in jail, Emergency was imposed, and the country was held captive.”

The Home Minister also accused former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of dividing the song into parts to appease certain groups, asserting that the move weakened its unifying force.

He emphasised Vande Mataram’s deep cultural roots, calling it “the soul of the freedom movement.” Freedom fighters like Shyamji Krishna Varma, Madam Bhikaiji Cama, and Veer Savarkar, he noted, had woven the song into India’s nationalist flag.

Shah, replying to opposition charges levelled on Monday, insisted that the debate was not political theatre. “We do not fear discussions on important issues,” he said, countering Opposition allegations that the ruling party was using nationalism to shape political narratives.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge led the opposition charge against the government, stating, “We have a habit of singing Vande Mataram,” adding pointedly, “but those who didn’t use to, now have started it as well. This is the power of Vande Mataram!”

The remark was pointedly aimed at BJP’s ideological predecessor Hindu Mahasabha, which he alleged was absent from the freedom struggle.

Kharge charged the government with using the anniversary celebration to divert public attention from pressing issues and the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Taking a swipe at the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, he said, “PM Modi and Amit Shah leave no chance to insult Jawaharlal Nehru and other Congress leaders. But that is only natural. Wherever PM goes, Amit Shah follows!”

The fiery back-and-forth turned the commemorative debate into a battleground of competing political narratives. While the BJP highlighted Vande Mataram as a unifying national mantra rooted in India’s heritage, the Congress accused the government of exploiting the song for electoral messaging.

Despite the political heat, both sides acknowledged the historic significance of Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay 150 years ago, and its role as a rallying cry during the freedom movement. The government’s planned year-long celebrations aim to reintroduce the song’s legacy to the younger generation.