Why Kerala government skipped Vande Mataram on Independence Day despite Congress-led states complying

In a controversial move, the Kerala government skipped Vande Mataram during its state's Independence Day function, despite Congress-led states following the central government's directive to incorporate the full six-stanza version of the national song. This decision came after Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha instructed the state's general education and local self-government departments to ensure the full version of Vande Mataram was sung as part of the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign.

The opposition accused the UDF of aligning with the "Sangh Parivar line." In response, the V D Satheesan government remained tight-lipped about its stance until Independence Day celebrations. Despite the government's omission, Vande Mataram was sung at events at the Lok Bhavan and in the BJP-ruled Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation.

The situation reached a boiling point at the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, where BJP councillors recited Vande Mataram alongside the CPI(M) singing the national anthem. The BJP accused Congress of following the lead of the Indian Union Muslim League, which holds ministries of education and local self-government in the current government.

Schools across Kerala had already included Vande Mataram in their Independence Day programs, but a circular from the general education department on August 11 instructed all institutions to hoist the national flag and recite the national anthem without mentioning Vande Mataram. The controversy surrounding Vande Mataram has dogged the Congress government in Kerala since its inception in May.