A political controversy has broken out in Kerala over the rendition of the national song “Vande Mataram” during the swearing-in ceremony held at Central Ground in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to reports, V.D. Satheesan took oath as Chief Minister on May 18, followed by 20 ministers from alliance parties including the Congress and the IUML. The programme included “Vande Mataram”, the national anthem, and a Malayalam song.
The dispute centres on claims that all verses of “Vande Mataram” were sung. Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Riyas said that officially only the first two stanzas are usually rendered, and argued that portions beyond that have historically been controversial and often trigger debates on constitutional freedoms and secularism.
Responding, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that the Left was disrespecting the national song for political reasons and distancing itself from the country’s traditions and culture. He maintained that there was nothing wrong in singing the song in full.
Meanwhile, Congress government sources said the issue had no connection with the government, adding that the Governor’s House had organised the swearing-in event.
