Thiruvananthapuram: A disagreement over the rendition of Vande Mataram during a Kerala Assembly function has sparked fresh political debate in the state. Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar expressed displeasure after only a portion of the song was played ahead of his policy address on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, Arlekar said Raj Bhavan had earlier conveyed its expectation that Vande Mataram should be recited in full whenever the Governor attends an official function. Despite this communication, only a few lines of the song were performed by a band troupe during the Assembly event.
The Governor stated that he had raised the matter with the Speaker and expressed hope that the issue would be addressed in future functions. He maintained that the full rendition of the song should form part of the protocol when the Governor is present.
According to reports, the state government chose not to include the complete recital of Vande Mataram due to controversy surrounding its full rendition during the swearing-in ceremony of the Cabinet led by V D Satheesan.
The issue drew reactions from political parties across the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party criticized the government’s decision and argued in favor of a full recital. The CPI(M), however, supported the Congress government’s position.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said the state was under no obligation to follow what he described as the RSS agenda regarding the complete singing of Vande Mataram.
BJP MLA V Muraleedharan accused the Congress government of yielding to the interests of organizations such as Jamaat-e-Islami.
The episode has once again brought questions of protocol, political symbolism, and differing interpretations of national traditions into public discussion in Kerala.
