The debate over ‘Vande Mataram’ has resurfaced amid discussions about its place as India’s National Song and the difference between it and the National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’. The song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s and featured in his novel Anandamath, the poem became a major rallying cry during India's freedom movement.

Sharmila Tagore said that it is difficult to recite Vande Mataram for those who believe in one God. | Bollywood

Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore has said that the nation should stick to only the first two stanzas of the national song 'Vande Mataram'.