‘Kashmiris Should Be Put In Jail?’ Omar Abdullah Hits Back At Congress Over Vande Mataram

His remarks came days after Congress criticised the National Conference over the full rendition of the national song at the inauguration of the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hit back at ally Congress over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at official events.

Source : ANI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Omar Abdullah defended full Vande Mataram as a statutory requirement.
• Congress criticised full rendition; Abdullah cited statutory nationwide law.
• Parliament recently made full Vande Mataram mandatory and protected.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has pushed back at ally Congress over the Vande Mataram row, saying the full rendition of the national song at official events is now a statutory requirement.

Abdullah's remarks came days after Congress criticised the National Conference (NC) over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at the inauguration of the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir.

“They (Congress) should have stopped this in Parliament. But, a law has been enacted,” Abdullah told reporters on Thursday.

He said the requirement applied across the country and could not be sidestepped at government functions.

Omar Abdullah Questions Congress’ Stand

Abdullah said the national anthem would naturally be played at an official function attended by two governors, a lieutenant governor and the acting chief justice of the high court.

“Now, in a function where two governors, one lieutenant governor, and the acting chief justice of our high court are present, the national anthem will obviously be played,” he said.

The chief minister said that wherever the national anthem is played, all stanzas of Vande Mataram had been made mandatory under the law.

“So, what does the Congress want? That Kashmiris should be put in jail for this reason? This is a statutory obligation,” Abdullah said.

“This is not just for Jammu and Kashmir; it applies to the entire country. In states governed by the Congress, the same will happen at government functions,” he added.

Abdullah said the national song would also be played at the closing ceremony of the film festival, where a Union minister would be present.

‘Congress Can Revoke It In Parliament’

Abdullah dismissed the controversy as an attempt to “make a mountain out of a molehill” and said Congress could reverse the law if it returned to power.

“When the Congress comes to power, and I pray the Congress comes to power as soon as possible, they can revoke this in Parliament. Let them do it, we have no objection,” he said.

He added that the NC had never adopted Vande Mataram as a party song and would not do so in the future.

“But whatever our legal and statutory obligations are, we have to fulfil them,” Abdullah said.

The Congress provides outside support to the NC-led government in Jammu and Kashmir and is also part of the broader opposition INDIA bloc. The party has six MLAs in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Congress Objects To Full Version

Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal had criticised the full version of Vande Mataram in a post on X.

Venugopal said the unabridged version “sits uneasily with the syncretic and pluralist ethos that our freedom fighters envisioned and nurtured for India”.

He urged alliance partners to respect the Congress Working Committee’s 1937 resolution, which adopted a truncated version of the song in consideration of India's religious diversity and conscience.

The dispute comes after Parliament accorded Vande Mataram a status on par with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in July and passed legislation making insult to the national song a punishable offence.