Kerala’s Vande Mataram Dispute Puts Congress on the Defensive as BJP Seizes on Minister’s Conduct

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A ceremonial programme in northern Kerala has reopened an uncomfortable political debate for the Congress-led government, with the ruling alliance facing renewed criticism over its approach to Vande Mataram.

The controversy centres on Health Minister K Muraleedharan, whose decision to return to his seat while the national song was still being sung has provided the BJP with fresh grounds to attack the state government.

The episode has also exposed differences among Congress representatives themselves, as some dignitaries remained standing until the rendition ended.

The incident occurred during a health department function at Mulleria in Kasaragod district on Monday.

A laboratory was being inaugurated at a Family Health Centre when the complete version of Vande Mataram was presented, although the state government’s stated position is to restrict its official functions to the opening two stanzas.

Muraleedharan was not alone in sitting down. Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, MLA Kallatra Mahin and District Collector Sreedhanya Suresh also returned to their seats before the singing concluded.

Congress MLA K Neelakandan and district party president P K Faizal, however, remained on the dais throughout.

The contrasting conduct turned an otherwise routine government programme into a political talking point.

BJP turns the episode into a political confrontation

The BJP has demanded accountability from those who did not remain standing during the rendition.

Its Kasaragod district president, M L Ashwini, accused the minister and other dignitaries of sending an inappropriate message through their conduct.

The party has described the episode as a violation of protocol and announced plans for demonstrations against Muraleedharan. It has also threatened legal action against the officials concerned, particularly questioning the conduct of the district collector.

The controversy has acquired additional significance because the event took place in Karadka panchayat, where the BJP controls the local body.

Panchayats have an important role in the functioning of Family Health Centres in Kerala, giving the local political setting an added dimension.

Minister says state events cannot be dictated by Delhi

Muraleedharan has rejected the suggestion that his actions reflected disrespect towards the national song. Instead, he has challenged the BJP’s attempt to make the episode an issue of patriotism.

The minister told reporters that the complete rendition was not part of the approved programme. According to him, two panchayat members unexpectedly sang the entire composition.

He argued that the state government was entitled to decide the arrangements for functions organised under its authority and could not be compelled to follow the Centre’s preferred protocol.

His response was particularly sharp when he accused the BJP of attempting to use government-sponsored occasions to advance its political interests. He also rejected the idea that his patriotism could be questioned over the incident.

The exchange has consequently shifted the argument beyond the conduct of individual dignitaries to a larger disagreement over the relationship between central instructions and state government arrangements.

A political problem that refuses to disappear

For the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the latest episode is another chapter in a dispute that has followed it since it assumed office in May 2026.

The first major controversy arose during the new government’s swearing-in ceremony on May 18, when the complete version of Vande Mataram was sung. Chief Minister V D Satheesan defended the arrangement by explaining that Lok Bhavan had organised the ceremony.

A different approach was adopted when the Assembly began its first session. Only the opening two stanzas were played, prompting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to raise objections over the observance of protocol.

The disagreement subsequently developed into a recurring political confrontation, with the BJP questioning the government’s commitment to national symbols and the CPI(M) accusing Congress of ideological inconsistency.

Independence Day decision added to the tensions.

Another round of arguments followed in August after the Centre communicated instructions concerning the rendition of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram during Independence Day celebrations.

The state Chief Secretary circulated the communication among the relevant departments. However, the UDF government did not adopt the complete rendition for its main state-level Independence Day programme.

The BJP alleged that Congress had weakened its position under pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an important constituent of the ruling alliance.

The CPI(M) approached the issue from a different political perspective. It accused the UDF of accommodating the ideological preferences of the Sangh Parivar instead of maintaining its opposition to the BJP’s political agenda.

The omission of the song from the principal state celebration became particularly contentious because Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh had followed the Centre’s instructions.

Congress caught between coalition politics and ideological criticism

The recurring dispute has placed the Congress government in a difficult position. Its decision to retain the practice of singing two stanzas has attracted BJP criticism, while its handling of the wider controversy has also drawn attacks from the CPI(M).

The BJP is attempting to portray the issue as one of respect for national symbols. The Left, meanwhile, is using it to question Congress’s ideological consistency and its relationship with coalition partners.

The latest Kasaragod episode has given both political opponents another opportunity to challenge the government, even as Congress leaders have sought to defend their position on the grounds of state autonomy and established practice.

What began as a disagreement over the duration of a ceremonial song has thus become a recurring test of political management for the UDF government.