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Congress intended to keep it a low-key affair

Special Correspondent

Explains about Vande Mataram celebrations

NEW DELHI : Joining issue with the Bharatiya Janata Party for questioning the "absence" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the Vande Mataram celebrations on September 7, Congress media cell chairman Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here that "those who are making a lot of noise about Vande Mataram today are people who had nothing to do with the freedom struggle."

Stating that every Congress function began with Vande Mataram and ended with the National Anthem,Mr. Dwivedi had a poser for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "If they are so moved by Vande Mataram, why is it that it is still not sung in RSS shakhas?"

Clarifying that it was not the "centenary" of Vande Mataram, he said that freedom fighter and former Member of Parliament, Shashi Bhushan — who mooted the proposal — had conceded as much before the media.

Since nothing of importance "occurred" in the history of Vande Mataram on September 7, 1906, the Congress did not want to send out a wrong message to the nation — particularly to the Generation Next — by having its top leadership come out and participate in the celebrations, Mr. Dwivedi said.At the same time, because of the controversy over the issue, the Congress could ill-afford to ignore the mood and, therefore, decided to organise a small — albeit low-key — function on September 7. And, since leading the party in the rendition of the National Anthem and the national song had always been the preserve of the Seva Dal, the task of putting together the function was entrusted to it, Mr. Dwivedi said. The discussion the controversy generated made people learn some facts about Vande Mataram.

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