Archive · 21 Aug 2026
BJP Holds Kerala Vande Mataram Events Over I-Day Omission
The BJP held gatherings across Kerala on August 21.
The gatherings were called Vande Mataram Sadas.
They were organized because Vande Mataram was not sung at the state’s official Independence Day event on August 15.
The BJP says the state government chose not to sing it because of pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami.
BJP leader S Suresh made these accusations.
He said the song belongs to the whole country, not to one political party or group.
The main Thiruvananthapuram event took place near the state Secretariat.
The reports do not include a response from the state government to the BJP’s allegations.
The BJP held ‘Vande Mataram Sadas’ programmes at all 30 organisational district headquarters in Kerala on August 21.
The events protested the alleged non-recitation of Vande Mataram at the state government’s official Independence Day function on August 15.
Kerala BJP general secretary S Suresh inaugurated the Thiruvananthapuram programme outside the state Secretariat.
Suresh accused the V D Satheesan-led UDF government of omitting the song under pressure from the IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The BJP said Vande Mataram represents nationalism, heritage and the history of India’s freedom struggle.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala, led in the events by state general secretary S Suresh.
- What
- The BJP organized Vande Mataram gatherings to protest the song’s alleged omission from official Independence Day programmes.
- When
- The gatherings were held on August 21; the disputed Independence Day event took place on August 15.
- Where
- At district headquarters across all 30 BJP organisational districts in Kerala; the Thiruvananthapuram event was held outside the state Secretariat.
- Why
- The BJP said it was protesting the non-recitation of Vande Mataram and what it described as pressure from the IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami.
- Organizer
- Bharatiya Janata Party
- State
- Kerala
- Event date
- August 21
- Coverage
- All 30 BJP organisational districts
- Thiruvananthapuram venue
- In front of the state Secretariat
- Disputed programme
- The state government’s official Independence Day function on August 15
- BJP spokesperson
- S Suresh, Kerala BJP state general secretary