Kerala politics heats up over full rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’
V D Satheesan, the new Chief Minister of Keralam, began his innings by telling a blatant lie, according to sources in Lok Bhavan (previously known as Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor).
The swearing-in ceremony of Satheesan and his council of ministers, held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, commenced with “Vande Mataram”, the national song, which was rendered in full. This was followed by the national anthem, after which Governor Aarlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the members of the cabinet.
Following the observance of the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram”, the Union government, through a special order issued in February 2026, made the rendering of the song mandatory at all functions attended by the President of India, Governors, or Lieutenant Governors of the respective states or Union Territories[1]. Previously, because of objections raised by Islamist groups, only the first two stanzas of the song were rendered, following an order issued during the prime ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Satheesan told reporters during his first press meet as Chief Minister that “Vande Mataram” was rendered in full without his knowledge. “It was as per the order of Lok Bhavan that the song was played in full, and I was not aware of it,” said Satheesan. Live visuals of the swearing-in ceremony aired by various channels reportedly showed Muslim ministers on the stage appearing uncomfortable. It is an open secret that the Congress-led UDF won 102 out of the 140 seats in the Legislative Assembly elections largely because of minority polarization in its favour.
“The initial indications are that Satheesan is likely to emerge as a second version of Mamata Banerjee, who appeased the minority community by dancing to their tune. He may follow this modus operandi in future elections to consolidate his position as Chief Minister for at least 15 years,” said Swami Bhargavaram, senior monk of Sree Ramadasa Mission in Thiruvananthapuram.
Most reporters in Malayalam TV channels and newspapers are either Marxists or Urban Naxalites, and they raised the issue of “Vande Mataram”, to which the Chief Minister responded by blaming Lok Bhavan for the faux pas.[2]
However, sources in Lok Bhavan told PGurus that the entire oath-taking ceremony was organised by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Kerala government.
“The schedule is prepared by the GAD and sent to Lok Bhavan, and the Governor acts according to the schedule. The Union government’s order making the recitation of ‘Vande Mataram’ mandatory has to be observed in letter and spirit by the state administration. The Governor’s role is only to administer the oath of office and secrecy. What the Chief Minister said at the press meet was not correct,” said a senior official attached to the Governor.
The CPI(M) and CPI are competing with each other in condemning the rendering of “Vande Mataram”. “It is against secularism and religious pluralism, for which India is known,” said a press release issued by the state secretariat of the CPI(M). CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the national song was communal and claimed that was the reason Jawaharlal Nehru opposed its full rendition.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has reached New Delhi to pay obeisance to party supremo Sonia Gandhi, referred to as the “Queen Mother”. His office informed that the chances of him meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi are slim, as the Chief Minister has a busy schedule in the national capital.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
Reference:
[1] Centre issues detailed protocol for rendition of Vande Mataram at government/public events – Feb 11, 2026, DD News
[2] Vande Mataram News | Full ‘Vande Mataram’ Recital At Kerala Oath Event Triggers Left Vs BJP Fight – May 20, 2026, YouTube
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