India, Dec. 9 -- Vande Mataram will remain an inspiration to create a self-reliant and prosperous India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, initiating the discussion on the 150th anniversary of India's national song in the Lok Sabha.

Modi blamed India's first PM and Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru for removing stanzas from the song, composed in the 1870s by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee , and said this was done under pressure and to appease the Md. Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League : "Under pressure, the Congress divided Vande Mataram, and that's why the Congress also had to bulk under pressure and partitioned India."

The Prime Minister spoke about the long-lasting impact of the song, and said it became synonymous with India's freedom...