"Some people are trying to forget it, trying to erase it": BJP's Anurag Thakur on 'Vande Mataram'

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 7 (ANI): On the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram ', BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday took a veiled attack on the previous UPA government and alleged "some people are trying to forget it, trying to erase it".
He alleged that the national song was not made mandatory in the previous governments.
Speaking to ANI, Thakur said, "On one hand, the BJP and the entire country are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram as the Amrit Utsav of this Amrit Kaal. On the other hand, some people are trying to forget it, trying to erase it. During the tenure of their governments, it was not made mandatory in schools, it was removed from the secretariat, there is no place for Vande Mataram in the programs of those parties, and these parties are none other than the family and party that remained in power for a long time, by whom a concerted effort has been made to forget Vande Mataram.
"Whereas, if anyone had united freedom fighters with the youth, it was Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Vande Mataram did that."
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India's national song, Vande Mataram, as a "mantra, energy, dream and resolve," while leading the nation in commemorating 150 years of its creation.
Addressing a grand event marking the occasion, the Prime Minister said the song embodies devotion and worship for the motherland and continues to inspire generations with a sense of patriotism and pride.
"Vande Mataram, these words are a mantra, an energy, a dream, a resolve. Vande Mataram, these words are devotion and worship to Maa Bharti. Vande Mataram, these words take us into history, they fill our present with new confidence, and they give our future this new courage that there is no resolve that cannot be achieved, no goal that we, the people of India, cannot attain," Prime Minister Modi said.
"Aisa koi sankalp nahi, jiski siddhi na ho sake. Aisa koi lakshya nahi, jo hum bharatwasi paa na sakein," the PM added.
Calling November 7 a "historic day," the Prime Minister said the 150th year of Vande Mataram is a moment of pride that will "fill crores of Indians with new energy."
"Today, November 7, is a historic day. We are having a grand celebration of 150 years of the creation of Vande Mataram... This event will generate new energy among crores of Indians... My greeting to every citizen on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram," PM Modi stated.
Prime Minister Modi also paid homage to the freedom fighters who devoted their lives to the ideals enshrined in the song.
"I pay my humble obeisance today to the millions of great souls of the nation, the children of Mother India, who devoted their lives to 'Vande Mataram', and extend my heartfelt congratulations to my fellow countrymen," he stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long commemoration of the National Song "Vande Mataram" at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The Prime Minister also released a Commemorative Stamp and Coin on the occasion.
Prime Minister Modi also launched a portal commemorating the 150th anniversary of the National Song 'Vande Mataram'.
The celebrations featured a mass singing of the full version of "Vande Mataram" across public places, with participation from citizens across all segments of society, in conjunction with the main programme.PM Modi also participated in the mass singing of the full version of 'Vande Mataram' at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Saxena and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were also present on the occasion.
This programme marks the formal launch of a year-long nationwide commemoration, from November 7 to November 7, 2026, celebrating 150 years of this timeless composition, which inspired India's freedom movement and continues to evoke national pride and unity.
Vande Mataram is a Sanskrit poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1876. It was later included in his novel Anandamath, published in 1882, and became a symbol of Indian nationalism during the country's struggle for independence.
The poem is a hymn to the motherland, personifying India as a goddess, and is often translated as "Hail to the Motherland". The song has been a source of inspiration for many Indians and is considered one of the most iconic expressions of patriotism in the country. (ANI)