Protocol Ignored: Kerala Governor Expresses Displeasure Over Partial Vande Mataram Rendition

Governor of Kerala Rajendra Arlekar expressed strong displeasure over the partial rendering of the national song, 'Vande Mataram' in the state Legislative Assembly on Friday ahead of his budget session policy address.

The incident has initiated a sharp war of words between the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government, the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking to reporters after returning to the Lok Bhavan, Governor Arlekar clarified that his office had explicitly communicated the necessity of playing the anthem in its entirety for all events attended by the governor. Instead, the band troupe performed only the opening stanzas of the song.

"We had insisted that whenever the Governor is present, as per protocol, Vande Mataram has to be recited in full. But they didn't do it. I spoke to the Speaker in this regard. Let us see if they will rectify," Arlekar said.

He has taken up the matter with Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to ensure the error is addressed in future sessions.

Political row over ‘Vande Mataram’

Earlier this year, during the swearing-in ceremony of Congress’ V. D. Satheesan-led Cabinet, the recital of 'Vande Mataram' in its entirety triggered a massive row and drew heavy pushback from alliance partners and opposition factions. Hoping to avoid a repeat of that friction, the administration reportedly opted to play only the opening lines.

The partial rendition immediately drew heavy flak from the BJP, which accused the state government of deliberately disrespecting both the national song and the Governor's office.

Senior BJP leader and MLA V. Muraleedharan strongly criticised the move, alleging that the ruling front was compromising national traditions to appease specific political interests. "The Congress government is succumbing to the interests of outfits like the Jamaat-e-Islami," Muraleedharan stated.

On the other side of the aisle, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) firmly backed the Congress government’s stance. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed the BJP's criticisms, stating that the state has absolutely no obligation to implement what he described as an "RSS agenda" of singing the song in full.

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