Bengaluru, Sep 21 (IANS) Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday warned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would raise the issue in Parliament against the Karnataka Congress government for restricting the rendition of Vande Mataram to only two stanzas.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, Joshi alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka was following an “anti‑national” approach and running a “Tughlaq‑style administration” by issuing arbitrary and allegedly unlawful orders.
He said the decision to restrict the singing of Vande Mataram to two stanzas at Vidhana Soudha insulted national pride and added that the BJP would raise its voice against the move in Parliament.
“Congress has completely shed its mask of fake patriotism. Restricting Vande Mataram to only two stanzas and singing it in this manner is highly condemnable and shameful,” Joshi said, attacking the state government.
The Union Minister also criticised Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s administration, saying that people of Karnataka had not expected such a move.
He questioned why the Congress had “so much hostility” towards the national song and alleged that the state government’s action amounted to disrespecting the legislation brought during the recent Parliament session for the protection of national honour.
Joshi further alleged that the Karnataka government was compromising the country’s pride to appease the Congress leadership at the national level. He said such orders would undermine the identity and dignity associated with the nation.
“India’s pride cannot be erased through such Tughlaq‑style orders. The people of Karnataka will certainly teach the Congress government a fitting lesson for this act,” Joshi said.
It can be noted that BJP and JD(S) MLAs on Monday sang the full version of Vande Mataram inside the Karnataka Legislature, defying the state government’s directive to restrict the rendition to two stanzas.
The rendition began soon after Speaker G.S. Patil took his Chair. After the first two stanzas were sung, the official rendition was stopped. However, BJP and JD(S) members continued singing the remaining portions of the national song.
Members continued with the full song even as the Speaker began reading the Preamble to the Constitution. They later concluded the rendition with slogans of “Jai Hind”.
The development came amid a controversy over the government’s decision to restrict the official rendition of Vande Mataram to two stanzas during the ongoing Assembly session. BJP leaders had opposed the decision and said they would sing the full song in the Legislature.
–IANS
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