Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 15 : A political row erupted in Kerala on Saturday after Vande Mataram was not included in the state government’s Independence Day function, with the BJP accusing the Congress-led UDF government of “yielding to pressure from extremist organisations.”
The BJP said it would launch a legal and political battle against the government over what it termed an “unconstitutional act”.
BJP leader Shone George told reporters that people in Kerala had witnessed “with sorrow” Chief Minister V D Satheesan “surrendering to the dictate of Jamaat-e-Islami”.
“We were convinced of this. Because this is not new—for the past one year, the CM has had an illicit relationship with Jamaat-e-Islami and anti-India forces, both openly and covertly in Kerala,” he alleged.
George said the BJP had expected Vande Mataram to be sung at the official function and alleged that the CM had failed to show “basic courtesy” by doing so.
He referred to guidelines issued by the General Education Department and claimed they stated that singing Vande Mataram was not mandatory.
“I haven’t received the order, but if an official has issued such an order, make no mistake, that official will face consequences,” he said.
George said the BJP would take a strong stand against anyone who took a position that “insults the patriotic song of this nation.”
“Today, at this very time, we are raising our national flag while singing Vande Mataram at 15,000 centres across Kerala,” he said.
He urged the CM to respect the federal system and remember that Kerala was part of India.
“If it is not sung, it sends a bad message. A very bad message to an entire generation, to the next generation. It conveys a very wrong message to the new generation in Kerala,” he said.
George alleged that attempts were being made to “communalise” Vande Mataram.
He claimed that the government was discouraging the singing of Vande Mataram in schools and alleged that this would “inject poison into young children’s minds”.
“Who governs the General Education Department? The Indian Union Muslim League. So the CM is implementing the IUML’s agenda,” he alleged.
Senior BJP leader P K Krishnadas criticised the state government, alleging that the UDF government had “completely disrupted” this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Kerala.
He alleged that the state government had imposed a “complete ban” on Vande Mataram and had also “insulted, humiliated and disrespected” freedom fighter V D Savarkar.
“What is the factor that prompted the CM to impose a complete prohibition and ban on this song, Vande Mataram? On the basis of whose instructions did he impose a complete ban on Vande Mataram in Kerala?” he asked.
Krishnadas questioned whether the decision was based on instructions from the AICC headquarters or the IUML leadership.
He said the BJP believed that no such instruction had come from the AICC headquarters, claiming that Vande Mataram was sung in its entirety at the AICC headquarters as well as at official events in Congress-ruled Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh.
“If that is the case, the CM should clarify whether it came from Panakkad,” he said.
The Panakkad family has long been influential in the IUML.
Krishnadas questioned whether the directive had come from “the hubs of Jamaat-e-Islami, Social Democratic Party of India, or Popular Front of India.”
He alleged that Vande Mataram, which he said Parliament had adopted as the national song, had effectively been banned by the state government.
“For a state government to prepare to challenge Parliament is equivalent to challenging the Constitution itself. Therefore, this is not just anti-national, but also unconstitutional and illegal,” he alleged.
Krishnadas said the BJP would launch a legal and political fight against what he described as the “anti-national, unconstitutional stance” of the UDF government.
