Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday commemorated the 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, stating that the national song had awakened the collective soul of the nation and became the rallying cry for freedom. In a message posted on the social media platform X, Kharge said Vande Mataram celebrates the unity and diversity of the country.

However, in the same breath, the veteran Congress leader hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that they had never sung the national song in their shakhas or offices.

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Kharge wrote that the RSS, since its founding in 1925, had sought to avoid singing Vande Mataram, calling it deeply ironic, since the Sangh claims to be the self-proclaimed guardian of nationalism.

“… It is

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