Surrendering to RSS agenda: Vijayan slams Kerala govt over full Vande Mataram

Kerala Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday demanded withdrawal of the order directing full rendition of Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations, alleging the UDF government was surrendering to the RSS agenda. CPI(M) leader P Rajeev also criticised the decision

Kannur (Kerala): Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of the chief secretary’s order directing that the full version of Vande Mataram be sung during Independence Day celebrations, alleging that the state government was surrendering to the RSS agenda.

Responding to reporters’ questions, Vijayan said the complete version of Vande Mataram was not in keeping with the country’s secular principles and claimed that the Constituent Assembly had decided that only its initial stanzas should be sung.

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“Regarding Vande Mataram, there is something that our country has generally accepted. That is, the song Vande Mataram in its entirety does not align with secularism. When we decided to be a secular nation, the Constituent Assembly itself decided that a song that does not align with secularism should not be recited in that manner,” he said. He said there was nothing wrong with singing its initial stanzas.

“The Constituent Assembly decided that only the first few lines need to be sung. This was the policy of leaders, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. That policy was also the policy of the Congress,” he said. Vijayan said the policy changed after the present government came to power and pointed to the full rendition of Vande Mataram during the Cabinet swearing-in ceremony.

“The shift occurred when this (UDF) government came to power. On the very first day, during the Cabinet swearing-in ceremony, Vande Mataram was sung in full,” he said. “Singing Vande Mataram in its entirety is the RSS policy. It is an RSS agenda. The government here showed a stance of completely surrendering to it. Widespread criticism was raised against this,” he said.

Vijayan said the issue had resurfaced following reports that Vande Mataram would have to be sung in full during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, along with the national anthem. “If that is the case, it is a serious matter. That is the RSS policy; it is not what our country accepted. When it comes to singing Vande Mataram, only the initial stanzas need to be sung,” he said.

“So, from the swearing-in ceremony to the current events, what we can see is how much they are surrendering to the RSS agenda. What needs to be done now is to urgently rectify this matter,” Vijayan said.

On August 6, Kerala Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha issued a letter following a communication from the Union Ministry of Culture regarding the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, which will be observed from August 9 to 17 this year.

The letter said the 2026 edition of the campaign, launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, had been integrated with the third phase of the nationwide commemoration of 150 years of the National Song Vande Mataram, as approved by the National Implementation Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Accordingly, all physical celebrations during the period would combine collective singing of Vande Mataram with the hoisting or display of the National Flag, while digital participation would be routed through the Har Ghar Tiranga portal, where citizens could upload their “Selfie with Tiranga”.

The letter said the Government of India’s instructions regarding the recitation of Vande Mataram would be followed in full.

CPI(M) leader P Rajeev on Saturday criticised the UDF government over the chief secretary’s order. In a Facebook post, Rajeev alleged that the state government had been waiting for a communication from the Union Culture Ministry before taking the decision.

“If the government is to function as directed by the Central government, the chief secretary is enough. Is there any need for the CM and ministers to sit in those chairs?” Rajeev asked. He alleged that the UDF government had accepted the decision without registering even a mild protest.

“The national position of the Congress on this issue is that Vande Mataram should not be sung in full. AICC organisational general secretary K C Venugopal should clarify whether there has been any change in that position. If the Congress policy has not changed, Chief Minister V D Satheesan should say which party he belongs to now,” he said. Rajeev criticised the Indian Union Muslim League for not objecting to the move so far.