Gandhi also called a Seva Dal functionary and spoke animatedly to him while Vande Mataram was still being sung.
The episode went viral on television channels and social media, prompting the BJP to accuse Gandhi of trying to obstruct the rendition of the national song. The Congress sought to contain the fallout, saying the full Vande Mataram was sung at the function and that Gandhi’s gestures were aimed at getting a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a long time.
“There were no arguments or attempts to obstruct it. The Congress president was standing for a long time and Sonia ji was asking for a chair for him,” Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said.
The episode also left some Congress functionaries privately wondering whether the full rendition of the national song at the party event was contrary to the leadership’s plan.
Kerala skips it
Meanwhile, the full Vande Mataram was sung at official Independence Day functions in Congress-ruled Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh. It was, however, skipped at the official Independence Day event of the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala, prompting the BJP to allege that pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League had forced the decision.
