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Kerala Governor slams partial recital of Vande Mataram; CM says full rendition not mandatory
The Kerala Police band played only the first two stanzas of the song before and after the Governor read out the policy address in the Kerala assembly.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Friday expressed displeasure over Vande Mataram not being sung in full in the state assembly before his policy address, while chief minister V D Satheesan said that a complete recital of the national song was not mandatory.
The Kerala Police band played only the first two stanzas of the song before and after the Governor read out the UDF government’s policy address in the Kerala assembly, despite a Lok Bhavan directive that Vande Mataram be rendered in full whenever the Governor is in attendance.
Arlekar claimed that proper protocol should be followed when the Governor is attending such functions. “I have spoken to the Assembly Speaker. Let us see how things develop,” he said.
CM Satheesan said there was no legal provision mandating that the song be rendered in full. “Parliament has enacted no law in that regard. If the Governor has a complaint, I will discuss it with him,” he said.
BJP MLA V Muraleedharan termed the move an “insult to the Lok Bhavan and the Governor”, and accused the UDF government of succumbing to parties like CPI(M) and Jamaat-e-Islami. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan also backed the state government’s decision not to play or sing the national song in full, calling the demand for a full rendition “an agenda of the RSS”.
