The BJP lawmakers remained standing at their seats and continued with the full song even as the Assembly proceeded with its listed business.
The move comes amid a dispute over the government’s September 8 order mandating the singing of the first two stanzas at state government events except when the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor is present. The Karnataka High Court is also seized of a PIL challenging the notification.
The petitioner argued that the state government lacks the executive authority to prescribe the version of the national song and that its order conflicts with a July 9 directive from the Union government calling for the official version at occasions where Vande Mataram is sung.
The BJP, in a post on X, accused the Congress government of restricting the national song and said it would oppose the move. The party also criticised police action at a Ganeshotsava event in Uppinangady, Dakshina Kannada district, where participants allegedly sang the full version.
The dispute follows a decision by the Congress Working Committee in August to limit the rendition of Vande Mataram at party programmes to its first two stanzas, citing a 1937 resolution and the historical debate surrounding the song.
