‘Unnecessary Public Debate’: BJP MP Walks Back Controversial Remark On National Anthem

A day after sparking a major political row over his remark that Jana Gana Mana was composed to welcome the British, BJP MP and former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri issued a full retraction, saying he does not stand by his earlier remarks and does not wish to prolong the controversy. Speaking to News18 following widespread criticism, the MP said both Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram are “nationally respected songs” and insisted that India’s national anthem must always be honoured. ‘Never Will I Stand By That Statement’ Pressed on whether he still stood by his earlier comments, he responded firmly, “No, no. Never I will stand by this statement. Unnecessarily it has become a public debate. I don’t want to continue this. Our national anthem is always our national anthem. We have to give respect and honour to it.” He added that his intention was not to ignite any controversy and that he was withdrawing from the debate entirely. When asked again if he was formally retracting his statement, he said, “No, no. Thing is, unnecessarily it has been made a controversy. I don’t want to continue this. I don’t want to debate on this more than this. Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana both are our nationally respected songs.” Reiterating his position, the BJP MP said, “Jana Gana Mana is our national anthem, we must accept the truth and follow that. This is my stand. I don’t want to continue this debate.” The controversy erupted after Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri claimed at a Rashtriya Ekta Nadige event in Honnavar that Jana Gana Mana was composed to welcome the British and that there had once been a strong chorus to make Vande Mataram the national anthem. He said, “Our ancestors decided that along with Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana, which was composed to welcome the British, should also be included. Today, we have accepted it and continue to follow it.” The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Congress, with Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge calling it a “WhatsApp history lesson” and “utter nonsense.” Priyank Kharge cited Rabindranath Tagore’s writings to assert that Jana Gana Mana hailed the “Dispenser of India’s destiny,” not British royalty. “Sri Tagore wrote the hymn Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata in 1911; its first stanza became Jana Gana Mana. It was first sung at the Congress session in Calcutta — not as a royal tribute,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).