Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], August 10 (ANI): Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan on Monday strongly criticised Congress government and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan’s demand to withdraw the order for singing the full version of Vande Mataram on August 15, accusing the Congress of compromising on national heritage.
Speaking to ANI, the former Mizoram Governor questioned the rationale behind opposing the traditional composition, and emphasised its historic significance in uniting the country.
He said, “For Independence Day celebrations, the (Keralam) government has decided not to sing the national song Vande Mataram. They are saying that it will violate the basic concept of the Constitution. During the independence movement, the Congress itself sang it at several places.”
The BJP leader maintained that Vande Mataram played significant role during the freedom struggle and announced that his party would stage state-wide demonstrations against the political pushback.
“It (Vande Mataram) made a significant contribution to strengthening the national struggle for independence at that time. Why has it taken a stand against Vande Mataram? They want to appease the Muslim League. The BJP has decided to protest against the stand taken by the state government against singing Vande Mataram,” Kummanam Rajasekharan said.
On the other hand, Keralam opposition leader and former CM Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly condemned the directive requiring Vande Mataram to be sung in its entirety during Independence Day celebrations.
Calling the policy a direct imposition of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda, Vijayan demanded that the decision be withdrawn immediately.
The controversy stems from practices surrounding official state functions, including the recent swearing-in ceremony of the United Democratic Front (UDF) cabinet, where the full rendition of Vande Mataram was incorporated. Traditionally, only the first two stanzas of the song have been widely adopted and accepted alongside the national anthem to maintain inclusivity and reflect India’s secular fabric.
Reiterating historical consensus on the matter, Vijayan emphasised that the nation has never endorsed the mandatory recitation of the entire composition.
“The RSS policy of singing Vande Mataram in full is not accepted by the country. The decision should be withdrawn,” Vijayan stated. “All that is needed is the first couplet.”
Accusing the current state leadership of political compliance, Vijayan claimed that the administration’s willingness to embrace the move highlights a deeper alignment with ideological pressures.
“The extent to which the government has succumbed to the RSS agenda has been seen since the time of the oath-taking,” Vijayan remarked, arguing that modifying established protocols to include the full song alienates certain sections of the public and compromises the secular integrity of state celebrations.
The controversy erupted after Kerala Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha issued a letter on August 6 following a communication from the Union Ministry of Culture regarding the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, scheduled from August 9 to 17 this year.
The development comes just over a week after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending to Vande Mataram the protection provided to the national anthem under the 1971 law.
The Bill seeks to make obstruction or insult to the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Authored by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his 1882 novel Anandamath, Vande Mataram played a monumental role in India’s freedom struggle, serving as a rallying cry for nationalists. (ANI)