Mathura, Aug 17 (IANS) Padma Bhushan Sadhvi Ritambhara on Monday slammed Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi over an alleged incident during the rendition of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Independence Day, saying that it amounted to a grave insult. She further said that their hearts have never truly beat for the nation.
The controversy erupted after videos from the Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters showed senior Congress leaders speaking among themselves while Vande Mataram was being recited.
Speaking to IANS, Padma Bhushan Sadhvi Ritambhara said, “Sonia Gandhi has committed a grave insult. When ‘Vande Mataram’ was being sung, her body language showed how uncomfortable and angry she was. These are the faces who cannot tolerate the progress of the country. Their hearts have never truly beaten for the nation, yet they have been imposed on the people of the country. The entire country and the world have witnessed this scene. She should have shown such discomfort if she was facing a terrorist.”
“Hearing ‘Vande Mataram’ evokes memories of countless sacrifices, and love for the nation begins to surge in our hearts. It is the same ‘Vande Mataram’ that the freedom fighters of this country sang while making sacrifices and fighting for the nation’s independence. But then we are also quite strange people… trapped in mental slavery… those who want to control our hearts and minds … they do not even love our India. They are so uncomfortable with ‘Vande Mataram’. The whole world has seen it. This is an unforgivable offence,” she told IANS.
She further reacted to the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar and said, “We have already seen that they are being used. The kind of food that was distributed there, how girls were dressing…such shamelessness on the soil of India. What is this? People like this should not even dream of leading India.”
Sadhvi further added, “Protests on issues are the beauty of democracy. When those in power do not listen, people have to raise their voices. But this does not mean that if your country is like a huge banyan tree and there are termites in it, the demand should be to bring down the entire tree. The demand should be to treat the termites… ‘Dimaagi Naxal’ people say that decisions will now be made on the streets. We can never allow anarchy in this country.”
–IANS
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