Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president B.K. Hariprasad’s remarks that Congress leaders would sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, even if it resulted in imprisonment or harsher consequences, have drawn strong criticism from former deputy chief minister K.S. Eshwarappa, who accused the Congress leader of disrespecting the national song and making unwarranted remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Hariprasad made the remarks in New Delhi while responding to criticism surrounding Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s alleged conduct during the Independence Day celebrations. He described the controversy as a political conspiracy allegedly engineered by the RSS and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Hariprasad defended Gandhi, saying she had asked that the rendition of Vande Mataram be corrected when it was being sung incorrectly. He also sought to explain why AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge was given a chair during the programme, citing his age and difficulty standing for long periods.
His comments, however, have triggered a political backlash, with Eshwarappa questioning the Congress leader’s understanding of the national song and the RSS.
Speaking at a press conference at the Shivamogga Press Trust, Eshwarappa launched an attack on Hariprasad, calling him a “goonda” and questioning his credentials to comment on the RSS.
“Hariprasad should be in jail. What does he know about the RSS?” Eshwarappa asked, while strongly objecting to the Congress leader’s criticism of the organisation.
Eshwarappa said the RSS had played a significant role in India’s political and social life and argued that several prominent BJP leaders, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had their roots in the organisation.
He also referred to the RSS’s historical role in nationalist activities and said Congress leaders had no moral authority to lecture others about patriotism or national symbols.
The controversy centres on Hariprasad’s assertion that Congress would continue to follow what he described as the practice of singing two stanzas of Vande Mataram.
“As a Congress worker and president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, I want to make it clear that we will sing only two stanzas. If they want, they can send us to jail or even hang us. We will continue what our forefathers followed,” Hariprasad had said.
He further argued that freedom fighters had sacrificed their lives for the country and had given the nation symbols and slogans associated with the freedom movement, including Vande Mataram, Inquilab Zindabad and Azad Hind Zindabad.
Hariprasad also challenged the BJP and RSS to explain how frequently they sang Vande Mataram and the national anthem after reciting the RSS prayer Namaste Sada Vatsale.
ವಂದೇ ಮಾತರಂ ಪೂರ್ತಿ ಹಾಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಧೋರಣೆ, ದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ, ದೇಶ ಭಕ್ತರಿಗೆ ಅವಮಾನ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ಉದ್ಧಟತನದ ಕಾನೂನುಬಾಹಿರ ಧೋರಣೆ
ವಂದೇ ಮಾತರಂ ಪೂರ್ತಿ ಹಾಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಬೇಕಿದ್ದರೆ “ಜೈಲಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿ, ನೇಣಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿ…” ಎನ್ನುವ ಘನ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ನಾಯಕರ ಮಾತುಗಳು ಕೇವಲ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಅಸಹನೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ಅದು ಅವರ ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ… pic.twitter.com/EtpR1Fc979
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) August 18, 2026
He went on to accuse the RSS of having opposed the freedom movement. He said Congress had nothing to learn from an organisation that, according to him, had not supported the independence struggle.
Eshwarappa rejected these allegations and accused Congress leaders of deliberately targeting the RSS for political reasons. He pointed to the contributions of leaders associated with the organisation and said the Congress should refrain from questioning the RSS and its members’ patriotic credentials.
He also criticised Congress leaders for repeatedly raising the RSS issue while, according to him, failing to focus adequately on governance and law-and-order issues in Karnataka.
Referring to Minister Priyank Kharge, Eshwarappa alleged that the minister was more interested in criticising the RSS than concentrating on his responsibilities in the state government.
The exchange has added another political dimension to the ongoing debate over Vande Mataram, with the BJP and Congress taking sharply contrasting positions on its rendition and its place in public and official functions.
While the Congress has defended its position on singing the national song, BJP leaders have accused the party of disrespecting a symbol associated with India’s freedom struggle.
