The special session of the Karnataka legislature commenced on Monday, marked by a significant controversy surrounding the national song, Vande Mataram. The assembly’s official audio rendition concluded after two stanzas, prompting BJP legislators to continue reciting the complete version. This incident has sparked considerable uproar among members of the assembly.
Today, in Vidhana Soudha, if they truncate it, all BJP MLAs will sing the full Vande Mataram song, even if they try to stop us. A similar protest unfolded in the legislative council where BJP members recited the remaining stanzas while Chairman Saleem Ahmed began reading the Preamble to the Constitution as is customary at the start of proceedings. The members later raised slogans against the government over the decision to limit the rendition. The order, issued in the name of the Governor of Karnataka’s name, stated it was based on guidelines from the Union home ministry. BJP MLA SR Vishwanath accused the Congress government of restricting the song to appease its central leadership. To please the Congress high command, they have truncated Vande Mataram, which is equal to the national anthem. We strongly oppose this. He even challenged the state government to stop them if it had the authority to do so. “Vande Mataram is in every cell of our blood. We will sing Vande Mataram in full at any cost. Let hundreds come, like Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, we will sing it inside and outside the House. The government order is also under challenge in the Karnataka high court. Advocate Girish Bharadwaj has filed a public interest litigation questioning the state government’s authority to prescribe that only two stanzas be sung at official functions.
It also argues that the subject does not fall under the State or Concurrent Lists of the Constitution and therefore comes under Parliament’s residuary legislative powers. The confrontation followed a September 8 government order directing that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be played or sung at state government programmes and official ceremonies, except those attended by the President, Vice President, Prime Minister or Governor. The petition refers to a July 9 communication from the Union home ministry, stating that the official version of Vande Mataram should be recited whenever the National Song is sung at mass gatherings.
“To please Sonia Gandhi, the Congress government in Karnataka, led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, brought it to the cabinet and said we will sing only two paragraphs, not the full song. Earlier in the day, R Ashoka said the BJP would sing the full Vande Mataram in the Karnataka assembly and outside it. If the government has the capacity, let it stop us,” he said.
