Vande Mataram-Jana Gana Mana row erupts at Kerala civic body's I-Day event

A row erupted at the Kozhikode Corporation office after BJP councillors sang Vande Mataram while LDF and UDF councillors sang Jana Gana Mana during I-day event

A row erupted at Kozhikode Corporation office on Saturday when 13 BJP councillors sang Vande Mataram while LDF and UDF councillors sang Jana Gana Mana during Independence Day celebrations.

Independence Day celebrations at the Kozhikode Corporation office witnessed a row after BJP councillors sang Vande Mataram while LDF and UDF councillors sang Jana Gana Mana. (@vdsatheesan/ representative image)

BJP councillors alleged Mayor and Deputy Mayor belittled Vande Mataram, saying, “When we started singing Vande Mataram, they started singing the national anthem.” Mayor O Sadasivan said Vande Mataram was not on the agenda and BJP councillors had not sought permission.

“Reciting Vande Mataram was not part of the agenda at all,” he said. However, none of the other councillors present at the event had prevented the BJP councillors from singing Vande Mataram, Mayor O Sadasivan said.