The political row over the recitation of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters here on the Independence Day escalated sharply on Jattvibeday, with BJP leaders filing a police complaint against Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Karnataka, while Home Minister Amit Shah accused her of insulting the national song.A similar complaint has been filed by an advocate with the IP Estate police station in Delhi. The Congress hit back at Shah, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh accusing him of using the controversy to divert attention from what he described as the government’s “massive failures” and attacking his political record and ideological background.The BJP complaint was filed at the Urwa police station in Karnataka following a video from the August 15 programme at the Congress headquarters showing senior party leaders speaking among themselves during the rendition of Vande Mataram. BJP leaders alleged that the conduct amounted to disrespect to the national song and sought action against those responsible.Addressing a gathering in Chittorgarh on the death anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shah said, “Sonia Gandhi committed a sin by interrupting the singing of Vande Mataram. The public will never forgive her for it.”In response, Ramesh questioned Shah’s credentials to lecture the Congress on nationalism and constitutional values. “This is a man who insulted Dr BR Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on December 17, 2024. This is a man who comes from that ideology which, until January 2002, did not even deem it appropriate to hoist the Tricolour at its headquarters,” Ramesh alleged.He further accused Shah of being “directly responsible” for the alleged brutality by the Delhi Police against peacefully protesting students. “Now the same man is demanding an apology from the Congress to divert attention from today’s real issues and the massive failures of himself and his master,” Ramesh said.The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the BJP-Congress confrontation over the national song, with both sides attempting to frame the controversy as part of a larger ideological battle over nationalism and the legacy of the freedom movement.Shah said the Congress had neglected Vande Mataram for decades because of “vote-bank politics” and claimed that PM Modi had restored the song to prominence on the occasion of the 150th year since its composition. He said the country was watching the Opposition’s response to the renewed prominence being accorded to the song.The Congress rejected the BJP’s interpretation of the visuals, maintaining that Sonia’s actions had nothing to do with disrespecting Vande Mataram. The party said she was concerned about ensuring that the song was rendered properly during the programme.The BJP intensified its attack through several leaders, with BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleging that Sonia, Kharge and Rahul had displayed “discomfort” during the rendition. The Congress has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and accused the BJP of manufacturing a controversy around the Independence Day programme.