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Shivakumar He dismissed the singing of all six stanzas at an Independence Day event in Karnataka, saying the decision was taken without his knowledge
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (PTI FILE)
Amid the ‘Vande Mataram’ row, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reiterated his party’s stance, saying his government will follow the decision to sing only the first two stanzas of the national song.
He dismissed the singing of all six stanzas at an Independence Day event in Karnataka, saying the decision was taken without his knowledge. He stressed that only two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ will be sung at government programmes in future.
“I believe in my party’s ideology. Whatever we have decided, I stand by that. I think without my knowledge, or in the Governor house, it may happen, but in future and in any government programmes, we will stand by what we had earlier, the two stanzas,” he said at the India Today Roundtable.
Row Over ‘Vande Mataram’
The controversy over ‘Vande Mataram’ stems from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s allegation that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi gestured to cut short the singing of the national song at the party’s Independence Day event at its headquarters in New Delhi.
The Congress, however, denied the claim and said Sonia Gandhi was merely asking party workers to bring a chair for Kharge who had been standing for a while.
Last week, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) reaffirmed its 1937 resolution that only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ should be sung at public and national events. The 1937 resolution aimed at promoting religious inclusivity.
The decision followed the new ‘Vande Mataram’ bill that mandated the singing of all stanzas of the national song.
Shivakumar accused the BJP of engaging in “appeasement politics”, whereas, he said, the Congress focusses on every section of society. “This is a country of diverse communities. The BJP is pursuing appeasement politics, whereas we believe in taking every section of society along with us. That is what our ideology stands for”, he said.
“This is a country of different languages, cultures and regions. We respect everyone. There is no religion in the sun, water or air. You cannot change these things, you have to breathe the same air and drink the same water that everyone else does. So, is there any religion in the air, water, plants or the sun?” he added.
About the Author
A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re…Read More
August 26, 2026, 2:14 PM IST
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