India, Aug. 16 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress of insulting the national song 'Vande Mataram' and demanded that the party apologise to the people and to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay who wrote the song.

Addressing a public meeting in Chittorgarh, Shah alleged that during the Independence Day programme at the Congress headquarters, party leader Sonia Gandhi asked Vande Mataram to be stopped midway through the song.

Referring to the Independence Day celebrations held on Saturday, Shah said after 80 years of Independence, 'Vande Mataram' was sung at the Red Fort and all other places where flag hoisting was held.

"Thousands of people faced bullets and lathis and were jailed for singing 'Vande Mataram'," Shah ...