Kolkata, Aug. 16 -- BJP MLA and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's descendant, Sumitro Chatterjee, has written to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi expressing his anguish over the Vande Mataram recitation controversy.

In his letter on Saturday, Sumitro Chatterjee described the attempted interruption of the full rendition of Vande Mataram as a "shameless repetition of a historical mistake," declaring that repeated attempts to stop Congress workers from singing the full version deeply distressed him as a noted poet descendant.

"Today, on August 15, 2026, on this auspicious morning of India's 80th anniversary of independence, when all countrymen are dedicated to paying homage to Mother India, what transpired at the All India Congress Committee head...