CWC backs two-stanza Vande Mataram, seeks to expand student outreach to 800 cities

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), after a marathon four-hour meeting on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), announced that it would hold student interactions under the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ (Echoes of the Students) programme in around 800 cities and towns in the coming days, many of which will be addressed by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.Mr. Gandhi asked the Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States to prepare a report on reforms needed in their education systems and submit it to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge within a month.TheHindu has learnt that Mr. Gandhi, in the closed-door interaction, chided his colleagues for not meeting enough students or going to Jantar Mantar to express solidarity during the NEET paper leak protests. “I have met more students than any of you,” he is learnt to have said. He said a straw poll conducted by the Congress’s student and youth wings showed that a majority of students backed the Congress and its leadership for change.Mr. Gandhi made it clear that he would stand with the students, “come what may”.Mr. Kharge, in his opening remarks, accused the Narendra Modi government of “destroying” the future of students and called for a comprehensive “Education-to-Employment Roadmap” for the youth.The infighting in the Punjab Congress, though, left an imprint, with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, a CWC member, skipping the meeting.Issues identified The CWC decided to launch a nationwide campaign over the alleged theft of donations — which the Opposition calls “chanda chori” — at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, while reiterating its demand for a Supreme Court-supervised probe and an audit of the temple trust’s accounts.The Congress Working Committee met in Kolkata Oct 26-Nov 1 1937. Those present included Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu, J.B. Kripalani, Bhulabhai Desai, Jamnalal Bajaj, Narendra… pic.twitter.com/bJb899UhQz— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 9, 2025It asserted that the Lok Sabha’s strength should remain frozen at 543 seats, with the existing State-wise allocation retained for 25 years, and that one-third women’s reservation should be implemented from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.It reaffirmed that Congress functions would feature only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, in line with the 1937 AICC resolution. It demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the “purification ritual” at the Haldwani ground where Mr. Kharge had addressed a rally. The resolution flagged reports of Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh and questioned the government’s silence, besides raising concerns over E20 petrol’s mileage, compatibility and loss of consumer choice.The CWC resolution said the youth were facing “disappointment and betrayal” under the Modi government, citing paper leaks, unemployment and alleged repression of student movements. “Over the past decade, paper leaks have assumed epidemic proportions, with at least 152 cases of paper leaks reported since 2014,” the resolution said.The CWC condemned what it called “arbitrary and brutal repression” of student movements, alleging the use of tear gas, pellet guns and electric shock batons and accusing the Prime Minister and Home Minister of avoiding Parliament on the issue.‘PM Modi on his knees’Mr. Gandhi said the protests have rattled Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described the government’s response as a sign of weakness. “Prime Minister is on his knees and the people who put him there are looking for his replacement,” he is learnt to have said. He said Mr. Modi’s Independence Day speech looked like it came “from a man who has been psychologically defeated”.Mr. Kharge, without naming anyone, expressed concern over three or four party leaders who frequently appeared on television but did not always reflect the party line. He also referred to the controversy over a “purification ritual” in Haldwani.Social media monitoringMr. Gandhi subsequently asked the Congress’s social media head Supriya Shrinate to send him regular reports on which party leaders were amplifying the Congress president’s messages.The Vande Mataram issue was discussed in detail, with senior leaders Anand Sharma, Tariq Anwar, and Digvijaya Singh arguing that the Congress should adhere to the 1937 AICC resolution on the song. Mr. Kharge read out an order of President Rajendra Prasad to reinforce the party’s position, reiterating that the first two stanzas were adopted for singing at its functions following consultations with Rabindranath Tagore.Briefing journalists after the meeting along with Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal talked about the decisions taken by the party’s highest decision-making body.“Vande Mataram and the national anthem are emotional issues for us. It is a political issue for the BJP. That’s the difference between us and them,” he said.