New Delhi: A political controversy has erupted in Kerala after the complete rendition of Vande Mataram was played during the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected Congress led United Democratic Front government in Thiruvananthapuram. The issue has quickly escalated into a larger debate on secularism, constitutional practice and the officially accepted version of the national song.
The dispute began a day after Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan and his Cabinet took oath at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The CPI(M) objected to the use of the full version of Vande Mataram at an official state function, arguing that only the approved sections of the song are meant to be used during government ceremonies.
The Left party stated that the Congress Working Committee had, as early as 1937, accepted that the complete song was not appropriate for a diverse and pluralistic society. According to the CPI(M), certain portions were historically excluded because they carried references linked to specific religious beliefs. The party also pointed out that the Constituent Assembly clarified in 1950 that only the first eight lines of the approved version would be treated as the national song.
Senior CPI(M) leader P. A. Mohamed Riyas raised the issue publicly soon after the ceremony, questioning why the complete rendition had been played when official functions generally use only the first two couplets. He argued that portions beyond those lines have long remained controversial and often triggered debates surrounding constitutional freedoms and secularism.
The BJP strongly countered the criticism and accused the CPI(M) of insulting a national symbol for political reasons. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that the Left was indulging in appeasement politics and distancing itself from Indian cultural traditions. BJP leader V. Muraleedharan also questioned whether any part of Vande Mataram could be considered against national integrity.
Amid the growing political row, sources in the Kerala government reportedly clarified that the Cabinet had no role in organising the event and that the arrangements were handled by Lok Bhavan. The ceremony concluded with the playing of Vande Mataram followed by the national anthem in the presence of several senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
