Thiruvananthapuram: A political controversy has erupted in Kerala after Chief Minister V D Satheesan said that rendering Vande Mataram in full is not mandatory, as no law has been enacted by Parliament making the complete recital compulsory.
Satheesan’s remarks came after Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed displeasure over the national song not being sung in full in the Assembly before his policy address. The Governor reportedly said that proper protocol should be followed whenever he is present in the House.
Before and after the Governor’s policy address, a band team played the opening stanzas of Vande Mataram. Arlekar objected to the fact that the song was not sung in full and was only played by a band. He also said he had already spoken to Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on the issue and expected it to be addressed.
Responding to reporters, Chief Minister Satheesan said there was no legal requirement to render the full version of the national song. He maintained that only guidelines exist on the matter and that the Congress and the UDF follow the stand of the party’s central leadership.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan supported the state government’s position and said there was no need to sing or play the full version of Vande Mataram. He argued that singing the first two couplets was enough and accused the BJP and RSS of trying to politicise the issue.
The BJP, however, strongly criticised the government. Senior BJP leader and Kazhakkoottam MLA V Muraleedharan alleged that not singing Vande Mataram in full during the Governor’s presence amounted to an insult to Lok Bhavan. He said there was a central government directive for full rendering of the song at events attended by the Governor.
The latest controversy follows an earlier debate over the full recital of Vande Mataram during the swearing in ceremony of the UDF Cabinet. Left parties had objected to the move, calling it unsuitable for a secular and plural society.
The issue has now turned into a wider political debate in Kerala, with the government, opposition and BJP taking sharply different positions on national symbols, constitutional practice and political messaging.