Pinarayi Vijayan Condemns Southern Railway Over RSS Anthem Sung by School Students
Students sing RSS song at train launch; outrage erupts.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on Southern Railway after school students were made to sing an RSS anthem during the inaugural ceremony of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express on Saturday. Labeling the act a "blatant violation of constitutional principles," Vijayan accused the Railways of injecting Sangh Parivar ideology into a national event. He demanded accountability, asserting that public institutions must remain insulated from partisan agendas, especially when children are involved in official functions.
In a strongly worded statement on X, the CM condemned the inclusion of the RSS song in an official function, questioning why a communal anthem was given prominence over secular values. He warned that such actions erode the Railways' legacy as a symbol of India’s inclusive nationalism, now being repurposed to promote divisive politics. Vijayan urged all secular and democratic forces to unite against what he termed a systematic subversion of constitutional ethos in public spaces.
The controversial performance took place aboard the train during its flag-off, with visuals broadcast widely before Southern Railway hastily deleted the video from its social media handles following a storm of criticism. Vijayan described the post-and-delete sequence as proof of deliberate intent to push a hidden agenda under the guise of public celebration. He criticized the Railways for amplifying the content initially, only to retract it under pressure, exposing a lack of oversight and institutional neutrality.
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CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas echoed the outrage, slamming the event as "highly politicized" and accusing Indian Railways of descending to new lows by sidelining elected representatives while amplifying political fanfare. He pointed out that even routine service launches are now being weaponized for ideological projection. Brittas highlighted the absence of local MPs and MLAs from the ceremony, further questioning the Railways’ priorities in public engagement.
The incident has sparked a broader debate on the misuse of public institutions, with secular and democratic voices rallying against what Vijayan called a "dangerous move." As political temperatures rise, pressure mounts on the Railways to issue a formal clarification and prevent future breaches of constitutional neutrality in official proceedings. The episode underscores growing concerns over the creeping influence of ideological propaganda in government-led infrastructure projects.
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