New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the time had come for an unbiased evaluation of Vande Mataram and asserted that the entire song and the book, Anand Math, were never "anti-Islam," but reflected the popular sentiments against the Nawab of Bengal and British imperialism.

Participating in the debate on the '150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram, Singh also hit out at the Congress, claiming that the politics of appeasement led to the division of India.

"Now is the time for an unbiased evaluation of Vande Mataram and its history," Singh said. "Everyone has heard the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, but many are not familiar with the rest. Most parts of the original version have been forgotten, and those stanzas depict the essence of India." He

See Full Page