India, Dec. 8 -- Vande Mataram is an inspiration to create Atmanirbhar Bharat and a prosperous India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, as he initiated the discussion on the 150th anniversary of the national song in the Lok Sabha.

Modi blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for removing lines from the 1870 song to appease Muhammad Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League. "Under pressure, the Congress divided Vande Mataram, and that is why the Congress also had to buckle under pressure and partitioned India." He said the INC (Indian National Congress) has now become MLC (Muslim League-Congress).

Modi spoke about the long-lasting impact of the song, how Vande Mataram became synonymous with India's freedom movement, and the aspirations and hopes for gene...