Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Kerala Congress Refuses Full Vande Mataram Ahead of Independence Day
India is getting ready for a big celebration on 15 August 2026, its 80th Independence Day.
This year is also the 150th birthday of a very old patriotic song called Vande Mataram, which helped Indian people fight for freedom from British rule long ago.
The national government in New Delhi wants everyone, including leaders at the Red Fort, to sing all six verses of the song.
But some leaders in the southern state of Kerala do not want to sing the whole song.
They say the later verses praise Hindu gods and goddesses, and government events should not include religious songs because India has many religions.
A leader named Rajmohan Unnithan said he would not sing the whole song even if someone threatened to shoot him.
The government says the song is about loving your country and should be honoured completely on its 150th anniversary.
There is also a new rule being made that could mean jail time for people who insult the song.
So, many people in India are arguing about what matters more: honouring a patriotic song or keeping religion out of government events.
For the first time in history, all six verses of 'Vande Mataram' will be sung from the Red Fort ramparts on the Prime Minister's arrival on 15 August 2026, the Ministry of Defence said.
Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwanath Sinha's 6 August circular directing the full singing sparked the dispute, with Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan saying only the first two verses would be sung at state programs.
Senior Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan said: 'Even if Narendra Modi threatens to shoot us, Vande Mataram will not be sung in full.'
Congress, CPI(M), and the Indian Union Muslim League object to the later verses, which invoke Hindu deities Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, arguing a secular state should not officially sing them.
The Rajya Sabha passed The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making insults to Vande Mataram a criminal offence punishable by up to 3 years' jail and a fine.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's central government, Kerala's Congress-led opposition including MP Rajmohan Unnithan, and Kerala state officials.
- What
- A dispute over whether all six verses of the national song 'Vande Mataram' should be sung at official Independence Day programs.
- When
- August 2026, ahead of and during the 80th Independence Day celebrations on 15 August 2026.
- Where
- India — centred on the Red Fort in New Delhi and the state of Kerala.
- Why
- Opponents object to later verses containing Hindu religious imagery in a secular state, while the government wants to honour 150 years of the national song in full.
Supporters of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
Opponents of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
Singing all six verses at official events
Supporters of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
The Modi government says all six verses should be sung, including from the Red Fort, to honour the national song's 150-year legacy and its role in the freedom struggle.
Opponents of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
Congress, CPI(M), and the Indian Union Muslim League say only the traditionally sung first two verses should be performed at government programs, as the later verses invoke Hindu deities.
Reason for the opposition
Supporters of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
Government supporters say the objections stem from appeasement and vote-bank politics, not ideology, and that Vande Mataram is a symbol of national unity and pride.
Opponents of Singing Vande Mataram in Full
Opponents argue a secular state should not officially sing verses with religious symbols that could hurt minority sentiments; CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan accused the government of bowing to the Sangh Parivar's political agenda.
- Event
- India's 80th Independence Day celebrations
- Date
- 15 August 2026
- Celebration theme
- '150 Years of Vande Mataram' and 'Youth Power for Developed India@2047'
- Composed
- 7 November 1875, by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, included in his novel 'Anandamath'
- Number of verses
- 6
- First public rendition
- 1896 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, sung by Rabindranath Tagore
- Kerala circular
- Issued 6 August 2026 by Chief Secretary Vishwanath Sinha
- New law
- Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 — passed by Rajya Sabha; insulting Vande Mataram carries up to 3 years' jail and a fine