Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday questioned the basis of a complaint filed against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over an alleged attempt to disrupt the singing of Vande Mataram at the party headquarters.

Kharge argued that if singing the version of Vande Mataram performed by the Congress was considered a crime, then similar complaints should also be made against Mahatma Gandhi and former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The remarks came amid a political row over the rendition of the national song during the Congress’s Independence Day celebrations at its headquarters on Saturday. BJP leaders had alleged that Sonia Gandhi signaled for the full rendition to be stopped.

The Congress has rejected the allegation. Party leader Udit Raj said Sonia Gandhi’s gesture was related to arranging a chair for Kharge, who, according to the party, was unable to stand for a long period.

Kharge questions complaint against Sonia, Rahul

Kharge said the Congress had been singing the same version of Vande Mataram for years and questioned why the party’s leaders were being targeted over it.

He referred to the use of the same version by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and also cited the period when Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government was in power.

Kharge said that if the rendition amounted to a crime, then those who had previously sung the same version should also face complaints. He also said the Congress had passed a resolution concerning national songs before many of its current critics were born.

What Congress said about Sonia Gandhi’s gesture

The controversy began after the Vande Mataram rendition at the Congress headquarters during the Independence Day event.

According to the allegations, Sonia Gandhi noticed that the singers were continuing with the full version and appeared to gesture towards Kharge before communicating with the singers.

The Congress disputed this interpretation. Udit Raj said Sonia Gandhi was instead gesturing about arrangements for Kharge, who had been standing for a considerable period.

Complaint filed against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

A complaint was filed with the Delhi Police on Monday against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The complainant sought registration of an FIR over the alleged attempt to disrupt the singing of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters.

The controversy continued on Monday when Kharge participated in a Vande Mataram rendition in Goa ahead of a Congress convention. The version sung there included the first two stanzas.

The row comes after the Centre made singing Vande Mataram in its entirety mandatory at public gatherings, schools and official government functions, among other places. Parliament has also passed legislation making intentional obstruction, disruption or prevention of the singing of Vande Mataram a criminal offence, according to the report.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged irregularities in donation management at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has cleared former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and former Trust member Anil Mishra.

The Uttar Pradesh Home Department on Monday handed over the SIT’s final report to the Trust, which will now take further action based on the findings.

Rai and Mishra had resigned from their positions on June 27 after allegations of donation theft emerged. The two former Trust members were subsequently questioned by the SIT about the temple’s donation management process.

Champat Rai denied involvement in donation theft

According to sources, Champat Rai told investigators during questioning that he had no role in the alleged theft. He reportedly said that the suspects were arrested following his complaint.

Rai also told the police that ensuring there were no irregularities in donation collection was part of his responsibility and that he acted after learning about the alleged wrongdoing.

SIT was formed before Supreme Court intervention

The three-member SIT was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant headed the panel. Range Inspector General Kiran S and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan Kumar were the other members.

The SIT submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23 and made several stringent recommendations.

Following the preliminary report, Trust member Krishnamohan filed a written complaint at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi police station. An FIR was subsequently registered on June 25.

Eight people named in FIR

The FIR named Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav, alias Tinnu, along with other unidentified individuals.

According to the provided report, all eight named accused were arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The SIT’s preliminary findings also formed the basis for subsequent FIRs and arrest-related action in the case.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday criticised Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over the controversy surrounding the rendition of Vande Mataram at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Independence Day.

Sarma questioned how the Congress would govern if it returned to power, alleging that the conduct of its senior leaders during the national song had raised concerns.

“During Vande Mataram, the way Sonia Gandhi behaved and the song was stopped midway clearly indicates that if Congress mistakenly comes to power, the country will face a worse situation,” Mr Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister also accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of encouraging protests in the name of Gen Z.

“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have almost taken a decision to oppose the country in the name of Gen Z. They are provoking people to protest and trying hard to create a bad environment in the country,” he said.

Sarma further alleged that such actions could contribute to instability in the country.

“I am not bothered about these things, but these people are working against the country and provoking the people of the country to protest and bring anarchy,” he said.

What triggered the Vande Mataram controversy

The political row erupted after footage from the Congress Independence Day programme on August 15 surfaced on social media. The video showed senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, during the rendition of Vande Mataram.

BJP leaders have interpreted gestures seen in the footage as an attempt to interrupt the national song. The Congress, however, has rejected that interpretation.

The issue has since become a political flashpoint, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of disrespecting Vande Mataram.

A complaint seeking action against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over the alleged disruption is also being examined by the Delhi Police.