Kerala government defends tradition

A fresh controversy has erupted in Kerala politics over the singing of “Vande Mataram” in the State Assembly. The Governor has raised an objection, stating that the full version of the song was not sung and brought the matter to the attention of the Kerala Assembly Speaker. The Governor also alleged that the state government has not followed central guidelines regarding the practice.

The Kerala government, however, dismissed the issue, saying it is not new. It clarified that only the first two stanzas of “Vande Mataram” have traditionally been sung in the Assembly for a long time, and the same practice continues even today as part of established convention.