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Vande Mataram controversy

The Vande Mataram controversy has taken a sharper political turn, with Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy attacking Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over the row. Kumaraswamy questioned the Congress leadership and made a controversial reference to Sonia Gandhi’s Italian origins, saying “Italian blood runs in her veins.” The controversy erupted after a video from the Congress Independence Day programme appeared to show Sonia Gandhi gesturing during the rendition of Vande Mataram. The BJP accused her of objecting to the song, while Congress rejected the allegation and said she was asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge. With both sides trading accusations, what began as a protocol-related controversy has now escalated into another political confrontation between the BJP and Congress.