Given below are two statements: Statement I: In spite of opposition from Jinnah in 1937-39, the Congress did not stop singing ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Legislative Councils. Statement II: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had said that “First he fought for Congress, now he will fight against the unity of India.” In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• Vande Mataram, a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was seen as a patriotic song during the Indian freedom struggle. The first two stanzas were especially popular and were often sung at Congress meetings and other nationalist gatherings.
• In the 1937 elections, the Congress formed ministries in several provinces after winning a majority in many regions under the Government of India Act, 1935.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League objected to the recitation of "Vande Mataram" in legislative councils, especially because of its later verses that contained references to Hindu deities (such as Durga).
• Despite this opposition, the Congress, did not concede to the demand to stop singing "Vande Mataram" in the legislative assemblies or other public forums. Hence, Statement I is correct.
• The Congress viewed "Vande Mataram" as a symbol of national unity and patriotism, emphasizing the song’s role in mobilizing the masses against British colonial rule.
• The person who made the statement "First I fought for the Congress, now I will fight against the unity of India" was Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League. Hence, Statement II is incorrect.
• Jinnah initially started his political career as a member of the Indian National Congress and was considered a key figure in the movement for India's independence.
• However, as time progressed, Jinnah became increasingly disillusioned with the Congress, particularly regarding its policies on Hindu-Muslim unity.

Additional Information

• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan actively opposed the formation of the Indian National Congress when it was established in 1885.
• He believed that in a representative government with majority rule, the Muslim minority would be overshadowed by the Hindu majority, leading to a loss of political and social power for Muslims.
• He famously argued that: Muslims and Hindus were like "two nations" living in India, each with their distinct identities. This idea later influenced the two-nation theory, which became central to the demand for Pakistan.