Mumbai, Aug 20 (IANS) Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore has said that the nation should stick to only the first two stanzas of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.

The actress spoke with IANS on Thursday, and said that the entire song may not comply with the religious beliefs of many communities in India as they are monotheistic in nature.

She told IANS, “My point of view is that there are many religious people who believe in one single God, not many Gods. In ‘Vande Mataram’, there is a stanza which says that many Gods are mentioned in ‘Vande Mataram’”.

“It is difficult for those who believe in one religion to say, ‘Vande Kali, Vande Durga’. Therefore, if we take all the religious people in India together, the first two stanzas are very good”, she added.

The Vande Mataram controversy intensified after India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations, with the two national parties, BJP and Congress clashing over the national song’s rendition and historical interpretation. The dispute escalated after the Congress Working Committee reaffirmed its longstanding position of singing only the first two stanzas at party events, a practice dating back to 1937.

BJP leaders accused Congress of disrespecting the national song, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge defended the party’s rendition, arguing that the same version had historically been sung by national leaders. The row also followed the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the Red Fort on August 15, a first in Independence Day celebrations.

Actor Mukesh Khanna had also made a statement calling for the National Anthem to be replaced with ‘Vande Mataram’.

The actor claimed that the National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was written as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth.

He earlier told IANS, “I have said this three years ago that ‘Vande Mataram’ should be made a national anthem.’Jana Gana Mana’ is not the national anthem of our country. It is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Rabindranath Tagore wrote a song in praise of her. We have accepted it. Bhagyavidhata, Punjab, Sindh. It is not ours. ‘Vande Mataram’ is ours”.

“Lata ji sang it so beautifully. I had a meeting with Kalyanji Anandji bhai. It has been two years since I have read it. I have recorded a Vande Mataram song for seven minutes which should become iconic”, he added.

--IANS

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