New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that after 1857, the British treated Bengal as a testing ground for their divisive "Divide and Rule" strategy, believing that weakening Bengal would weaken the entire nation.

Referring to the 1905 Partition of Bengal, he said Vande Mataram became the unifying slogan for Bengal and later inspired the Swadeshi movement, even as the British banned the song and penalised those who sang or published it.

"Bengal was partitioned but the Swadeshi movement picked up. Vande Mataram resonated across the country. Bankim created a bhaav vishwa through his song. The British banned Vande Mataram. Singing or publishing, or even uttering the words Vande Mataram, could result in punishment,...