The remarks came after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed displeasure over Vande Mataram not being sung in full in the assembly when he was present for the United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s policy address.
Before and after the governor’s policy address in the Kerala Assembly, a band team performed the opening stanzas of Vande Mataram.
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In a video message posted on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress-led government violated constitutional protocol by not ensuring that the full version of Vande Mataram was sung.
“During the governor’s address in the Kerala Assembly, the full version of Vande Mataram was not sung. The official protocol is that the original version should be sung in full and not shortened to two stanzas. But the Congress government violated this protocol,” he said.
Poonawalla alleged that it was done under pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an ally of the ruling UDF in Kerala.”To appease the Muslim League, the Congress has done this because it is in alliance with the party and cannot go against it. The Muslim League hates Vande Mataram. Under its pressure, they have cut short Vande Mataram and insulted the governor,” he claimed.
He also accused the Left of supporting the move.
“Only two stanzas were played and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also justified it. Both the Congress and the Left have no respect for the country and the Constitution,” Poonawalla further alleged.
“They give a platform to Hamas, Jamaat and the PFI, but have a problem with Vande Mataram,” he said.
The BJP spokesperson further accused opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress, of having reservations about Vande Mataram.
“Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress, initially opposed even the two stanzas,” he alleged.
Referring to India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Poonawalla alleged that Vande Mataram had been shortened under pressure from the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
“Instead of celebrating the 150th year of Vande Mataram, they are insulting it. Nehru cut Vande Mataram into two parts under pressure from Jinnah’s Muslim League,” he alleged.
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Speaking to reporters at Lok Bhavan after returning from the state assembly, the governor said it had been insisted that Vande Mataram be sung in full whenever the governor is present in the House.
He said that in the assembly, the song was only played and not sung.
“Whenever the governor is present, it has to be sung fully. It was not sung; it was only played,” he said.
