On Independence Day, the spotlight was expected to be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Red Fort address. Instead, Vande Mataram became the biggest political flashpoint of the day.

For the first time, the full rendition of the national song was sung from the Red Fort after Parliament’s Monsoon Session saw a renewed debate over its status. The song was also sung at Congress headquarters, where cameras captured an animated exchange involving Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during the rendition.

The BJP has accused Congress of disrespecting the national song, while Congress leaders have offered different explanations – from a request for a chair for Kharge to objections over the full rendition and the party’s historical position on Vande Mataram.

So what really happened? A chair, or a controversy? And what did PM Modi mean by his “Dimaagi Naxal” remark?

Watch The Buck Stops Here with Padmaja Joshi as we examine the political storm around Vande Mataram.