‘Jana Gana Mana’ Written for British: Karnataka BJP MP Sparks Row

A political controversy erupted in Karnataka after BJP MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri claimed that India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was composed to welcome a British official. Speaking at an event in Honnavar commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram, Kageri said the anthem was originally written for a British dignitary, sparking outrage among opposition leaders.

Congress minister Priyank Kharge swiftly dismissed the statement, calling it “utter nonsense” and labeling it “another RSS WhatsApp history lesson.” He emphasized that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata in 1911 as a tribute to India’s destiny, not to the British monarchy. Kharge clarified that the song’s first stanza later became Jana Gana Mana, which was first sung at the Indian National Congress session in Calcutta on December 27, 1911.

Kageri argued that both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana should hold equal importance and urged for Vande Mataram to be more widely promoted in schools and colleges. He said, “Vande Mataram must reach every corner of the country; it’s a timeless inspiration for freedom.”

Kharge countered by urging BJP and RSS members to “revisit history” by studying their own publications, which he said have historically shown “disrespect for the Constitution, Tricolour, and National Anthem.” The controversy comes as the nation marks 150 years of Vande Mataram, written by Bankimchandra Chatterji in 1875. The debate has reignited questions over historical interpretation, nationalism, and the political use of cultural symbols in India.