SRINAGAR — A major political disagreement has erupted within the INDIA bloc as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah countered opposition from coalition ally Congress regarding the performance of the full six-stanza rendition of Vande Mataram.
Addressing Congress’ objections to the full national song being played at the International Film Festival in Srinagar, Abdullah stated that state authorities are legally obligated to follow central statutory protocols at all official government functions.
Protocol vs. Political Stance
The debate highlights a clear divergence between legal compliance and party position among the coalition allies:
-
Omar Abdullah’s Position: Stated that recent national guidelines make the full version of Vande Mataram mandatory at official state events across the country. He emphasized that non-compliance carries legal consequences, asking whether the Congress expected Kashmiri officials and citizens to risk imprisonment over the issue.
-
Congress Party Position: Reaffirmed its historic 1937 resolution restricting performance to the first two stanzas. Senior leader K.C. Venugopal maintained that the full version conflicts with the country’s pluralist heritage, urging alliance partners to adhere to the traditional two-stanza format.
-
National Conference Stance: The National Conference clarified that while the song is not part of its official party platform, the state government will fully comply with statutory obligations at all official events, including the film festival’s upcoming closing ceremony.
Broader Political Context
The issue surfaced after both Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah stood through the full six-stanza rendition during the film festival’s inaugural ceremony in Srinagar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the Congress’ stance, claiming the party remains out of step with national protocol. Despite the political friction, the Jammu and Kashmir administration confirmed that official protocol will continue to be observed across all government-backed events in the Union Territory.
