Renuka Chowdhury defends Sonia Gandhi, rejects ‘Vande Mataram’ row

Senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury came out in defence of Sonia Gandhi amid the controversy over the alleged disruption of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters, questioning the premise of allegations that the former Congress president had tried to stop the recitation of full national song.

Chowdhury dismissed the controversy as an attempt to divert attention from real issues and accused the BJP of targeting the Opposition.

Speaking to IANS, Chowdhury said that the focus should instead be on issues concerning students and the youth, including the NEET paper leak.

“This is the politics of allegations. Such remarks are being made to divert from the real issues. What about real issues, students' future, how NEET paper leak issues? No BJP leader or PM addresses those issues,” she said.

Defending Sonia Gandhi, Chowdhury questioned whether anyone had actually heard her asking for Vande Mataram to be stopped.

“What Sonia Gandhi said, anybody heard? I am asking, did anybody hear? No. What she said, we know, just making allegations based on signs,” she said.

Chowdhury said the allegations were baseless and accused the BJP of attempting to portray the Opposition as being against the country while presenting itself as the better side.

“They are trying to hide their own failures and trying to show people that the Opposition is bad and they are good,” she said.

The Congress leader said there was little point in responding to what she described as allegations without a basis.

“There is no befitting reply to their baseless allegations. It's a waste even to involve with them,” she said.

Chowdhury's remarks came while responding to allegations surrounding Sonia Gandhi's conduct during the Vande Mataram rendition at the Congress headquarters. She maintained that merely interpreting gestures could not establish that Sonia Gandhi had sought to stop the national song.

According to Chowdhury, the controversy was part of a broader political effort to shift the public discourse away from issues on which the government should be questioned. She said the Opposition should not be judged on allegations based on gestures or interpretations without establishing what was actually said.

The senior Congress leader reiterated that the Vande Mataram controversy should not be allowed to overshadow issues concerning the future of students and the youth.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by Education Post)