BJP Criticises Kerala Over Decision To Skip ‘Vande Mataram’ At Event
BJP targets Kerala over reported decision to skip ‘Vande Mataram’.
A political controversy erupted in Kerala after the national song, Vande Mataram, was not included in the state government's official Independence Day celebrations on Saturday. The BJP strongly criticised the Congress-led United Democratic Front government, alleging that the omission was intended to appease extremist and minority groups. The party described the decision as an insult to the Constitution and the country's freedom struggle.
The BJP also announced that it would challenge the state government's decision through both legal and political means. BJP leader Shone George accused Chief Minister VD Satheesan of deliberately allowing the song to be excluded and alleged that the government had been accommodating radical elements in the state. He also referred to alleged links between the chief minister and Jamaat-e-Islami, allegations that have not been independently established.
George further referred to reports that the General Education Department had issued guidelines making Vande Mataram optional at Independence Day events. He warned that officials responsible for such an order could face action if it was established that they had deliberately prevented the song from being performed. George also claimed that BJP workers were singing Vande Mataram and hoisting the national flag at around 15,000 locations across Kerala.
Also Read: Rajasthan BJP Chief Apologises Over Wrong Vande Mataram Tune At I-Day Event
The BJP leader alleged that the government was attempting to communalise the issue to accommodate the Indian Union Muslim League, which holds the education portfolio in the state. He argued that excluding the national song could send a negative message to younger generations about patriotism and the country's freedom movement. The allegations have intensified political differences between the ruling UDF and the BJP over the conduct of Independence Day programmes.
Another BJP leader, PK Krishnadas, accused the UDF government of undermining the spirit of Independence Day and referred to freedom fighters while criticising the reported exclusion of the song. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar also took the issue to social media, alleging that the Congress and IUML-led government had failed to include even a single line of Vande Mataram at the official state function.
The controversy comes amid a broader political debate over the place of Vande Mataram in official and public functions. The BJP has turned the Kerala government's decision into a larger political issue, while the allegations made by its leaders against the state government and other organisations remain part of the ongoing political dispute.
Also Read: BJP Claims Sonia Gandhi Objected To Full Vande Mataram, Congress Calls Charge False
