Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala will organise programmes to hoist the national flag and sing the full version of Vande Mataram at 15,000 locations across the state on the occasion of Independence Day, state BJP president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced on Thursday, August 13.
The announcement comes amid a political controversy in Kerala over the full rendition of Vande Mataram at Independence Day-related events. The controversy began after Kerala Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha directed that the Union government’s instructions on singing the national song in full be followed at physical celebrations held as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has prescribed an official six-stanza version of Vande Mataram for occasions when the national song is sung or played. The later stanzas, which have not traditionally been part of the standard public rendition, have drawn objections because of their religious imagery.
According to a BJP press note, party workers will organise the programmes at the booth, panchayat, constituency, and district levels. “The objective of the programme is to build strong public resistance against attempts to insult Vande Mataram, a symbol of the country’s independence and national unity, and against positions that support anti-national forces,” the press note said.
The directive issued by the Chief Secretary was linked to the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, which is being observed from August 9 to 17. The campaign calls for the hoisting and display of the national flag as part of Independence Day celebrations. The Chief Secretary’s order mandated that “instructions of the Government of India for recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ will be followed in full” for the singing of the National Song.
The directive triggered criticism from Opposition leaders and others in Kerala, with questions being raised over the singing of all six stanzas.
The BJP said its programmes in Kerala are part of a nationwide initiative being held at “lakhs of centres” across the country.
“BJP will remain at the forefront of the struggle to uphold the national flag, protect India’s unity and sovereignty, and build a developed India. The patriotic people of Kerala will recognise the positions of the CPI(M) and Congress, which provide political support to forces attempting to weaken the country,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.