BENGALURU / NEW DELHI — Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has defended the state government’s decision to restrict the recitation of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at official state events, issuing a public challenge to BJP leaders amidst an escalating political and legal debate.
The controversy highlights a direct conflict between the Karnataka state government’s directive and a Union Home Ministry mandate regarding national song protocols.
Key Points & Contextual Breakdown
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Resignation Challenge: Kharge challenged Karnataka BJP leaders B.Y. Vijayendra and R. Ashoka to recite all six stanzas of Vande Mataram without prompts or notes, offering to resign from his ministerial post if they succeed.
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Historical Argument: The Congress leader cited the 1937 Congress Working Committee resolution—supported by historical figures including Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Rabindranath Tagore—which formally adopted the first two stanzas to preserve national inclusivity.
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Union Directive vs. State Policy: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders requiring all six stanzas of the national song to be sung during mass recitations to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. Karnataka’s ruling administration elected to maintain the two-stanza standard.
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High Court PIL Filed: Advocate Girish Bharadwaj has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court, seeking to quash the state order on the grounds that it directly contradicts federal compliance directives issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
