A political controversy erupted on Friday after the BJP accused the Congress of hurting Hindu sentiments by portraying Rahul Gandhi as Lord Parshuram during celebrations marking the Congress leader’s 56th birthday in Varanasi.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has triggered a political debate by questioning the practice of rendering the full version of Vande Mataram at official events. Speaking amid an ongoing controversy in Kerala, Tharoor clarified that he has complete respect for the national song but argued that making all its verses mandatory at every government programme places an unnecessary burden on attendees.
