The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will lead a nationwide campaign against the V.D. Satheesan-led government in Keralam, which has taken an “anti-national” stance by repudiating the national song, the State general secretary of BJP, M.T. Ramesh, said on Monday. He alleged that the State government had chosen to dishonour Vande Mataram, succumbing “to the pressure from Indian Union Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami and such religious groups.”

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ramesh said that the BJP was also contemplating legal measures because the UDF government had negated the national song at the Independence Day celebrations in the State in a clear violation of the legislation passed by the Parliament that the national song must be rendered along with the national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) at all official functions.

Vande Mataram had been omitted entirely from the official State-level Independence Day celebrations at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, where Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan hoisted the national flag, which was followed by the rendition of the national anthem.

Though the Chief Secretary had forwarded a circular from the Centre to all State Government institutions about rendering the full version of Vande Mataram at the Independence Day celebrations, a State circular issued on the previous day had mentioned only the recital of the national anthem at the August 15 functions.

Mr. Ramesh said that Vande Mataram had been rendered in full in all three Congress-ruled States of Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Only Tamil Nadu and Keralam had avoided the rendition of Vande Mataram at the official Independence Day celebrations.

‘A national embarrassment’

“Tamil Nadu is ruled by a regional party whereas Keralam is ruled by the Indian National Congress, a party which claims to have won the freedom for the nation. The VDS government has become a national embarrassment because by disavowing Vande Mataram, it has dishonoured not just the national song but even the freedom fighters who won the nation its independence,” Mr. Ramesh said.

He pointed out that Mr. Satheesan had chosen to ignore Vande Mataram, even after the Parliament had passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, giving Vande Mataram, the national song, the same legal protection and statutory status as the national anthem in official functions and State gatherings.

He said that the Congress party had for over 40 years, recited Vande Mataram at its national meets and at public functions. The Congress was forced to change its stance regarding Vande Mataram only in 1937, when, succumbing to the pressure from Jinnah’s Muslim League, it decided to stick to the initial two stanzas of the national song, he claimed.

Against the stance of INC

However, the VDS Government went even against the official stance of the Indian National Congress and ignored Vande Mataram totally, refusing to render even the first two stanzas of the song at the State Independence day function. Despite the so-called “confusions”, Vande Mataram had been rendered at the official function at the AICC headquarters, he pointed out. Mr. Ramesh alleged that Mr. Satheesan had chosen to go against the Congress’s official stance on Vande Mataram, succumbing “to the pressure from Indian Union Muslim League and Jammat -e-Islami and such religious groups.”

He said that Mr. Satheesan should clarify what is his party’s stance and what was the UDF’s position on Vande Mataram. “The agenda is very clear -- this is the new Kerala story. Mr. Satheesan is sounding the voice of a new divisive ideology or politics and steering Keralam away from national stream, in order to please IUML,” Mr. Ramesh alleged. This position adopted by the Keralam government has set off apprehensions at various levels, for this brings back reverberations from the past, he claimed.

Published - August 17, 2026 04:19 pm IST