NEW DELHI: Kerala leader of opposition and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday lashed out at the Centre and the BJP amid the ongoing controversy over the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Kerala Assembly. He alleged that singing the full version of the national song was ‘part of the RSS agenda’.Vijayan said there was no requirement to sing the complete version of ‘Vande Mataram’ or even stand up when only the first two stanzas were rendered.“It had already been made clear earlier that there was no need to sing Vande Mataram in its entirety. There are no other obstacles regarding that issue. In fact, there is no requirement to stand up when only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram are sung. Singing the full version of Vande Mataram is part of the RSS agenda. During the oath-taking ceremony, the entire song was rendered, which should not have happened. Following that experience, the government appears to have taken a strict decision. That is the stand that should be adopted,” he said.His remarks came days after the BJP accused the Kerala assembly of insulting the national song by not performing the complete version of ‘Vande Mataram’ during Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s policy address last Friday.Before and after the Governor’s address, a band team performed only the opening stanzas of the national song.Senior BJP leader and Kazhakkoottam MLA V Muraleedharan alleged that there was a central government directive requiring the full rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ at events attended by the Governor, but claimed the Kerala assembly did not follow it.“This is an insult to Lok Bhavan and the Honourable Governor. The national song, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, has also been disrespected,” the former Union minister said in a Facebook post.Muraleedharan further accused the UDF government led by VD Satheesan of yielding to ‘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 alleged.The BJP leader also questioned the Congress party’s stand on ‘Vande Mataram’, highlighting that the song was first sung at the 1896 Congress national conference.“We strongly register our protest,” he added.Earlier, during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly formed UDF cabinet under chief minister VD Satheesan, full rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung. The CPI(M) and other Left parties objected to the complete recital, arguing that certain portions of the song were not appropriate in a secular and pluralistic society.In a statement earlier this week, the CPM state secretariat said the decision to perform the complete version went against earlier positions adopted by the Congress Working Committee in 1937, which had recommended omission of certain portions of the song.The party also referred to Constituent Assembly discussions in 1950, claiming that only the first eight lines of ‘Vande Mataram’ were accepted for official use as the national song.According to the CPM, some portions of the song reflect specific religious beliefs and their inclusion in official state ceremonies does not align with India’s secular traditions.The party further alleged that sections earlier excluded from official usage were included during the oath-taking ceremony.The CPM also pointed out that even in BJP-ruled states, including West Bengal, full renditions were not traditionally performed during swearing-in ceremonies.Amid the row, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar strongly criticised the Left parties, accusing them of insulting the national song and engaging in appeasement politics.“The CPI(M) has now come forward questioning Vande Mataram in an attempt to hide the embarrassment of being completely rejected by the people,” he said.“Insulting the nation for mere political survival can never be called secularism. A developed Kerala requires unity, harmony, and a secure society,” Chandrasekhar added.Meanwhile, newly formed Kerala government clarified that the state administration had no role in deciding the programme for the swearing-in ceremony and said the event had been organised entirely by Lok Bhavan, according to PTI.
