India, Nov. 7 -- As India marks 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, the BJP has made a striking claim against former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, alleging that a shortened version of the song was released because he "deliberately removed" stanzas that praised Goddess Durga.

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan in a detailed tweet accused the Congress of a "historic sin and blunder" under Nehru's party presidency back in 1937.

"In a letter dated Sep 1, 1937, Nehru spitefully writes that anybody considering the words in Vande Mataram as anything to do with a Goddess was absurd," Kesavan wrote, sharing excerpts from the said letter.

He also said that while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was in favour of releasing the song's "full origina...