Stories
Vande Mataram Row: BJP MLAs Sing Full Version in Karnataka Assembly, Defying Govt Order
M
Moneycontrol•21-09-2026, 13:47
Vande Mataram Row: BJP MLAs Sing Full Version in Karnataka Assembly, Defying Govt Order
- •A political confrontation erupted in the Karnataka Assembly as BJP MLAs sang the full Vande Mataram, defying the state government's two-stanza limit.
- •The Congress-led Karnataka government recently ordered that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung at most state government programs and official functions.
- •BJP MLA S R Vishwanath accused the Congress government of a politically motivated decision to truncate Vande Mataram, linking it to historical Congress opposition.
- •Karnataka BJP MLA Channabasappa stated the state cabinet lacks authority to alter the Centre's directive on Vande Mataram recitation.
- •The controversy highlights a divergence between the state's protocol and the Union Home Ministry's guidelines, which recommend the full six-stanza version.
Key Questions Answered
BJP MLAs sang the full version in protest after the Congress-led state government implemented a protocol limiting the rendition of the national song to its first two stanzas at official programmes and state functions.
In January, the Union Home Ministry issued guidelines stating that the official six-stanza version of Vande Mataram should be sung before the National Anthem when both are rendered together.
The BJP announced a statewide padayatra demanding that the government withdraw the two-stanza restriction and permit the full version of Vande Mataram to be sung.
