Haldwani, Sep 10 (PTI) Uttarakhand Congress workers staged a protest here at Buddha Park on Thursday and burnt the effigy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin after he addressed Rahul Gandhi as ‘miyan’.
The Congress members also raised slogans against the BJP chief in front the police personnel deployed there.
The agitation comes after Nabin, at his Haldwani rally on Wednesday, addressed the Lok Sabha leader of the opposition as ‘Rahul miyan’ while criticising the Congress over its decision not to sing the full six-stanza version of the national song, ‘Vande Mataram’.
Nabin said Rahul didn’t understand the significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ because he had been “raised in a foreign culture”.
“There are people in this country who feel embarrassed to say ‘Vande Mataram’. I want to say to Rahul miyan: you simply cannot understand the importance of ‘Vande Mataram’ because, somewhere along the line, you failed to grasp the significance of Indian culture. You have grown up in a foreign culture,” he said.
Nabin remarked that while the resonance of ‘Vande Mataram’ inspired thousands of martyrs to sacrifice their lives for the country’s freedom, the Congress party and Sonia Gandhi feel “insulted” by singing the full version of the national song.
Describing ‘Vande Mataram’ as a symbol of respect, the BJP president said its resonance is not merely the voice of freedom, but also the voice of Viksit Bharat-2047, adding that this vision must be carried forward by connecting it with the new generation.
In August, the Congress Working Committee reaffirmed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at all party events, while citing the 1937 resolution for its decision. PTI DPT KSI KSI
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