BJP announces nationwide campaign against Kerala govt over Vande Mataram omission

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch a nationwide campaign against the Kerala government led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan over the omission of Vande Mataram at the state's Independence Day celebrations, party state general secretary M.T. Ramesh announced on Monday. He accused the government of taking an “anti-national” stance by dishonouring the national song and alleged that it had yielded to pressure from religious groups.

At the official State-level Independence Day function at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on August 15, Chief Minister Satheesan hoisted the national flag, followed by the rendition of the national anthem, but Vande Mataram was not included in the programme. According to Mr. Ramesh, the decision violated the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, which mandates the rendering of Vande Mataram along with the national anthem at official functions.

He further noted that while the Chief Secretary had forwarded a Central government circular to all State institutions regarding the rendition of the full version of Vande Mataram at Independence Day celebrations, the State circular issued the previous day had only mentioned the national anthem. The party is also contemplating legal action against the government for the alleged violation.

Mr. Ramesh pointed out that Vande Mataram was rendered in full in the Congress-ruled states of Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. He said that only Tamil Nadu and Kerala had avoided the rendition at their official Independence Day functions. "Tamil Nadu is ruled by a regional party whereas Kerala is ruled by the Indian National Congress, a party which claims to have won freedom for the nation. The Satheesan government has become a national embarrassment because by disavowing Vande Mataram, it has dishonoured not just the national song but even the freedom fighters who won the nation its independence," he said.

Mr. Ramesh also drew attention to the Congress party's historical position on Vande Mataram. He noted that the party had recited the song at its national meets for over 40 years before changing its stance in 1937, allegedly under pressure from the Muslim League led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, when it decided to stick to the initial two stanzas. He claimed that the government in Kerala went even against the official stance of the Congress by ignoring the song entirely, while the All India Congress Committee had rendered it at its headquarters.

Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, has been a symbol of India's freedom struggle and was declared the national song in 1937. While it is often sung at public events, its place in official ceremonies has periodically triggered political debates.

Alleging that the Chief Minister had succumbed to pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami, Mr. Ramesh demanded that Mr. Satheesan clarify his party's stance and the UDF's position on Vande Mataram. "The agenda is very clear — this is the new Kerala story. Mr. Satheesan is sounding the voice of a new divisive ideology or politics and steering Kerala away from the national stream in order to please the IUML," he said.

The Kerala government has not yet issued a response to the allegations raised by the BJP leader. The controversy comes amid ongoing debates over the place of Vande Mataram in public functions, with differing interpretations of its historical and religious significance.