Bengaluru: A dispute over the rendition of Vande Mataram erupted in the Karnataka Legislature on Monday after the officially played recording ended after two stanzas, prompting BJP legislators to recite the remaining portions of the national song in both the Legislative Assembly and Council.
The incident took place as the three-day special session of the Karnataka Legislature began at Vidhana Soudha. The session has been convened primarily to discuss the severe drought situation in the state and the implications of the Kasturirangan report concerning the Western Ghats.
BJP legislators continue with full rendition
The Assembly proceedings began with the recorded rendition of Vande Mataram. However, the recording stopped after two stanzas.
After the rendition ended, Speaker G S Patil proceeded with the scheduled proceedings, including condolences to prominent personalities. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar subsequently began paying tribute to former MLA R B Shiriyannavar, who died on August 27.
BJP legislators objected to the shortened rendition and began reciting the remaining stanzas themselves. They also raised slogans against the Congress government over the decision to restrict the official rendition to two stanzas.
The protest continued in the Legislative Council, where BJP members recited the remaining stanzas while Council Chairman Saleem Ahmed proceeded with the customary reading of the Constitution’s Preamble.
The BJP members subsequently raised slogans against the government over the issue.
Karnataka has limited rendition to two stanzas
The dispute follows a Karnataka government order issued on September 8, directing that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung or played at state government programmes and official functions.
The order makes an exception for programmes attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor, where the full version can be rendered. The state government said the protocol was intended to ensure uniformity, dignity and appropriate procedure at government programmes.
The order followed a state Cabinet decision on the playing and singing of Vande Mataram at government programmes and functions.
The directive has become a point of political disagreement between the Congress government and the BJP in Karnataka.
Dispute follows wider national debate
The Karnataka order came amid a wider debate over the official rendition of Vande Mataram. The Union Home Ministry had earlier issued guidelines providing for the full version of the national song to be rendered on specified formal occasions.
The Centre’s guidelines and the Karnataka government’s subsequent order have led to questions over the protocol to be followed at state government functions. A Public Interest Litigation challenging Karnataka’s two-stanza order has also been filed in the Karnataka High Court.
The PIL has challenged the state’s authority to limit the rendition and has referred to the Union government’s guidelines on the national song. The matter is separate from Monday’s proceedings in the Legislature.
Special session focuses on drought and Western Ghats
The Vande Mataram dispute emerged at the start of a three-day special session that was convened to discuss two major issues facing Karnataka.
The first is the severe drought situation in the state. Legislators are expected to deliberate on the impact of drought and related issues affecting different parts of Karnataka.
The second major issue is the Kasturirangan report and its implications for the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats.
The report has been a longstanding point of discussion in Karnataka, particularly over concerns surrounding restrictions and their potential impact on communities and development in Western Ghats districts.
The political confrontation over Vande Mataram therefore occurred alongside the beginning of a session focused on these substantive policy and environmental issues.
BJP and Congress differ over protocol
The BJP’s protest in the Legislature reflects its opposition to the Karnataka government’s two-stanza protocol.
The Congress-led government, meanwhile, has maintained that its order establishes a uniform protocol for state government programmes and provides exceptions for events attended by specified constitutional dignitaries.
The issue is also being examined through legal proceedings after the Karnataka High Court petition challenging the September 8 order.
Monday’s developments in the Assembly and Council have brought the dispute directly into the state’s legislative proceedings, with BJP members choosing to complete the rendition after the official recording stopped after two stanzas.