Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Vande Mataram Row Overshadows Vizhinjam Port EXIM Launch
A new shipping activity began at Kerala’s Vizhinjam port on Tuesday.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal had been invited as the chief guest but did not attend.
Some BJP leaders who were invited also stayed away.
This happened during a disagreement over whether Vande Mataram should be sung at official Independence Day events in Kerala.
A government official said the absences were unofficially connected to that disagreement.
The official explanations mentioned work, personal reasons or party commitments.
V.D. Satheesan started the port’s export-import operations by flagging off two containers.
He said Sonowal was absent because of other official duties, not because of the controversy.
The port uses automated and artificial-intelligence-driven systems, according to Satheesan.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal skipped Tuesday’s Vizhinjam port EXIM operations launch.
Kerala BJP leaders Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and V.V. Rajesh also stayed away.
A Kerala CMO official said the absences were linked unofficially to the Vande Mataram controversy.
V.D. Satheesan flagged off two containers and described the launch as important for Kerala’s development.
Satheesan said Sonowal had prior official assignments and denied that the absence was deliberate.
- Who
- Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, invited BJP leaders, and V.D. Satheesan were central figures in the event.
- What
- The commencement of export-import operations at Vizhinjam international seaport took place without Sonowal and several invited BJP leaders.
- When
- Tuesday; the absences were communicated to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office late Monday night.
- Where
- Vizhinjam international seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
- Why
- The stated reasons were prior official assignments, personal reasons or party commitments; a Kerala government official said the absences were unofficially linked to the Vande Mataram controversy, while Satheesan denied that explanation for Sonowal.
Controversy-linked absence
Scheduling and personal commitments
Why Sonowal missed the event
Controversy-linked absence
A Kerala Chief Minister’s Office official said the Kerala BJP leadership unofficially viewed the absence as a deliberate boycott of state government programmes over the Vande Mataram controversy.
Scheduling and personal commitments
V.D. Satheesan said Sonowal had prior official assignments and that his absence was not deliberate or connected to the controversy.
Reasons given for other invitees’ absence
Controversy-linked absence
The same official said the Kerala BJP leadership was staying away from state government programmes because of the controversy.
Scheduling and personal commitments
The invitees officially cited personal reasons or party commitments.
- Event
- Commencement of export-import operations from Vizhinjam international seaport
- Date
- Tuesday
- Invited chief guest
- Union shipping and ports minister Sarbananda Sonowal
- Absent BJP figures
- Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and Thiruvananthapuram corporation mayor V.V. Rajesh
- Operations launched by
- V.D. Satheesan
- Cargo milestone
- Two containers were flagged off
- Port technology
- An automated algorithm and an artificial-intelligence-driven system
- Related controversy
- The Kerala government’s decision to skip Vande Mataram at official Independence Day events