Kharge Accuses Govt of Using ‘Vande Mataram’ Debate for Bengal Poll Gains, Ignoring Real Issues

By A Staff Reporter

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised the government for initiating a discussion on Vande Mataram ahead of the West Bengal elections, alleging that the move was politically motivated and aimed at diverting attention from pressing national concerns. Participating in the debate, Kharge said true respect for Bharat Mata could only be shown by addressing the issues that affect ordinary citizens.

Kharge argued that the government was prioritising symbolic and emotive topics over substantive matters such as unemployment, inflation, farmers’ distress and economic inequality. “The true homage to Bharat Mata will be when Parliament discusses and resolves the issues of common people,” he said, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of driving the conversation with electoral calculations in mind.

He contended that raising the Vande Mataram debate at this time was part of a broader strategy to influence the political narrative in West Bengal. According to Kharge, the ruling BJP was attempting to capitalise on cultural and emotive issues to gain traction in the state ahead of the elections.

The Congress leader warned that constant recourse to identity-based political debates risks overshadowing the welfare and livelihood concerns that Parliament is duty-bound to address. He urged the government to focus on policies that directly impact citizens instead of, in his words, “manufacturing debates for electoral benefit.”