Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday expressed displeasure over the alleged failure to sing the national song Vande Mataram in full during the policy address of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government in the state Legislative Assembly.
Speaking to reporters at Lok Bhavan after returning from the Assembly, Governor Arlekar said that proper protocol should be followed whenever the Governor is present at official functions. His remarks came after a band team performed only the opening stanzas of Vande Mataram before and after his policy address in the Assembly.
The Governor stated that Vande Mataram should be sung completely in the presence of the Governor and not merely played instrumentally.
“Whenever the Governor is present, it has to be sung fully. It was not sung; it was only played,” Arlekar said while addressing the media.
He further revealed that he had already discussed the matter with Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and expressed hope that the issue would be addressed appropriately.
“I have spoken to the Speaker regarding this. Let us see how things develop,” the Governor added.
The controversy soon triggered political reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Kerala government of disrespecting both the Governor and the national song.
Senior BJP leader and Kazhakkoottam MLA V Muraleedharan alleged that there is a central government directive requiring Vande Mataram to be sung in full at events attended by the Governor, and claimed that the protocol was violated in the Kerala Assembly.
“This is an insult to Lok Bhavan and the Honourable Governor. The national song, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, has also been disrespected,” Muraleedharan said in a Facebook post.
The former Union minister further alleged that the UDF government had acted under pressure from Jamaat-e-Islami and the CPI(M).
“Through this, it is evident that the government is accepting their argument that the national song is not in line with secularism,” he claimed.
The issue has added another layer to the ongoing political tensions between the Kerala government and the Raj Bhavan. While the state government has not yet officially responded to the allegations, the controversy is expected to spark further political debate in the coming days.
The song Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, holds a historic place in India’s freedom movement and is regarded as the national song of the country.
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