With the Kerala government avoiding recital of ‘Vande Mataram’ during the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday, BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has termed the move a “violation of the law”.
Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, Chandrasekhar levelled several allegations against the UDF government over its decision not to recite Vande Mataram during the celebrations, describing the move as illegal. He further alleged that the government’s refusal to comply with national laws was the result of the influence wielded by the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami over the administration.
“No one is permitted to decide which laws must be followed and which ones need not be followed in this country,” he said.
Chandrasekhar also questioned why the UDF government in Kerala had refused to comply with the Centre’s directive when Congress governments in states such as Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh had not adopted such a stand.
“The government headed by Chief Minister V D Satheesan has not abided by the nation’s rules. It violated the rules. There will be consequences for this violation. This may be legal, political or legal-political. This may become clear in the coming days,” he said.
Offering his explanation for the government’s decision, Chandrasekhar alleged that it stemmed from the Congress’ proximity to the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami. “Why were the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami brought into mainstream politics? I had warned that if they tried to influence the governance here, it would be dangerous,” Chandrasekhar said.
He further contrasted Kerala’s response with that of other Congress-led states.
“No other state had a problem. But, here issues arise because the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami control Satheesan’s government,” he said.
The row over the full rendition of the national song was triggered by a recent communication from the Centre regarding the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, observed from August 9 to 17. A letter from Kerala Chief Secretary Biswanath Sinha, quoting a communication from the Ministry of Culture, stated that celebrations during the campaign period should combine the hoisting of the national flag with the collective singing of Vande Mataram.
It also directed officials to follow the Centre’s instructions on rendering the national song in full, triggering criticism in the state.
Officials had earlier described the issue as a technicality and said that existing guidelines issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) would be followed. However, the GAD circular on Independence Day celebrations did not include any direction regarding the singing of the national song. Ministers maintained that only the two stanzas of Vande Mataram adopted by the Constituent Assembly would be sung if the song was included in any programme.
However, the Directorate of General Education (DGE) later issued a circular for the August 15 Independence Day celebrations, directing schools only to hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem at 9 am.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister V D Satheesan also opted not to include the national song in the Independence Day ceremony held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, despite the Union government’s directive.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, extends legal protection under the existing law to the national song, alongside the national anthem.
