Karnataka CM Shivakumar Stands by Congress Stance on Vande Mataram Stanzas

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday reaffirmed that the Karnataka government will follow the Congress decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at government and public programmes. His statement came amid a political controversy over the rendition of the national song, with the BJP criticising the Congress position. Shivakumar said he stood by the decision taken by his party and made it clear that Karnataka would continue following the same approach at official functions.

Shivakumar was responding to questions about the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at an Independence Day event in Karnataka. He said the decision to sing the complete version had been taken without his knowledge and indicated that it would not change the government's stated position. He maintained that future government programmes would follow the earlier practice of singing only the first two stanzas, in line with the Congress leadership's decision.

The Congress Working Committee recently reaffirmed its 1937 resolution stating that the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram should be sung at public and national gatherings. The issue has become more politically contentious following a new Vande Mataram Bill that mandates the singing of all stanzas of the national song. The contrasting positions have led to a wider debate between the Congress and BJP over the treatment of the song at official and public events.

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The BJP has criticised the Congress decision and accused the party of insulting the national song and engaging in appeasement politics. Shivakumar rejected the allegation and said the Congress believes in taking every section of society along with it. He stressed that India is a country of different languages, cultures and regions and said the diversity of the country must be respected. According to him, the Congress position is connected to its belief in inclusiveness rather than the appeasement of any particular community.

The Chief Minister also addressed the broader political debate surrounding religion and Hindutva. He argued that India's shared environment and natural resources do not belong to any particular religion, citing air, water, plants and the sun as examples. His comments reflected his emphasis on coexistence and respect among different communities. Shivakumar said the country's diversity should remain an important consideration when public institutions and government programmes deal with issues that have religious or cultural dimensions.

The Congress has maintained that the later portions of Vande Mataram include references to Hindu goddesses such as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The party has argued that singing the first two stanzas at public gatherings allows the national song to be honoured while avoiding concerns among members of other communities. Shivakumar has endorsed this position and said Karnataka will continue to follow it at government programmes. His latest remarks therefore reaffirm that the State government will not adopt the complete rendition as its standard practice unless the Congress changes its position.

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