NEW DELHI, Dec. 10 -- Vande Matram, the National Song, composed in West Bengal by Bankimchandra Chatterjee was not limited to the state, it transcended boundaries and borders, remains relevant today as it was then, and will continue to inspire generations, said union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. In a stinging attack on the Congress, he said, when Vande Mataram turned 50, it was reduced to two stanzas, which paved the way for appeasement politics and subsequently the country's partition. Congress president and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge hit back at the NDA-led government over the ongoing Vande Mataran discussion in Parliament, describing it as a tactic to divert attention from the economic challenges the country is grappling with, pressing foreign policy issues, and internal security matters. Initiating the special discussion on the 150 years of 'Vande Mataram' in Rajya Sabha, Shah said, "...Many people like me believe that if Congress had not divided Vande Mataram under its policy of appeasement, the country would not have been divided, and today the country would be whole" he said. He also alleged that he had observed some opposition lawmakers showing disrespect by opting to walk out of the House to avoid participating in the National Song, eliciting a sharp response from the opposition that demanded authentication of the claim. The minister informed the house that he would furnish the names, which should be made part of the House records. Responding to Shah's allegations, Kharge said, "The political debate over the national song Vande Mataram is merely a diversionary tactic when the country faces economic challenges. True patriotism seeks solutions to problems like the falling value of the rupee and the hardships faced by the common people, rather than mere symbolism and speeches." Shah said when Vande Mataram completed 50 years, Jawaharlal Nehru split it into two parts and when it turned 100, Emergency was imposed by the then Indira Gandhi led Congress government. "There was no scope for the glorification of the national song. Indira Gandhi imprisoned those who raised the slogan of Vande Mataram... When discussions were held in the Lok Sabha yesterday, both members of the Gandhi family were absent from the House. Right from Jawaharlal Nehru to the current leadership, Congress continues to oppose Vande Mataram." he said. Without naming Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi who spoke during the discussion in Lok Sabha a day earlier, he said, "Some members raised questions in the Lok Sabha on the need for these discussions on Vande Mataram. The need for discussion on Vande Mataram, the need for dedication towards Vande Mataram, was important then; it is needed now, and it will always be significant even in 2047," Shah said. Distancing the discussion from electoral politics, as both the TMC and the Congress have alleged that the BJP is using the National Song to get a toehold in Bengal, Shah said," They think the discussions are being held because of the upcoming elections in Bengal. They want to demean the glorification of our national song by limiting the discussion to the Bengal election. Kharge, however, backed the claims by Priyanka. He said "He (Modi) initiated the debate on Vande Mataram with the West Bengal elections in mind. Do not be under the misconception that attacking Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is a way to divert attention from real issues. The objective of this House should be to focus on the pressing issues facing the country."...