CPI(M), BJP Spar Over Vande Mataram at Kerala Cabinet Swearing-In

Sources in the new government distanced themselves from the fray and said that they had no role in the program as it was entirely organized by Lok Bhavan.

A day after the swearing-in ceremony of the VD Satheesan-led Cabinet, the CPI(M) state secretariat said that the Congress Working Committee as early as 1937 had taken the view that singing all parts of “Vande Mataram” was not suitable for a pluralistic society, which led to the removal of some parts.

The court noted that the Constituent Assembly later clarified in 1950 that only the first eight lines of the approved version should be considered the national song.

The party argued that parts of the song represented religious beliefs and that the use of its full version in official ceremonies was against India’s plural traditions. He said the Cabinet event “reversed this position” by including the omitted parts.

The CPI(M) also claimed that Kerala’s move was unusual, pointing out that even in BJP-ruled West Bengal, similar full presentations were not made during swearing-in ceremonies. He added that governments should avoid actions that could “undermine a pluralistic society” or “undermine secularism”.

Responding harshly, state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said: “The CPI(M) has now come forward to question Vande Mataram in order to hide the shame of being completely rejected by the people.”

In a Facebook post, he accused the Left of moving away from India’s culture and traditions and said Marxism was an “imported ideology” that was incompatible with Indian values.

Chandrasekhar also alleged that the Left has a record of forcing its cadres to apologize for slogans like “Jai Hind” and accused it of targeting the national song to appease “vote bank forces” like Jamaat-e-Islami and SDPI.

He claimed that these groups were supporting a weakened Congress “under their complete control”.

Calling the CPI(M)’s stand “dangerous appeasement politics,” he said, “Insulting the nation for mere political survival can never be called secularism.”

He added that the BJP/NDA would strongly oppose what he described as attempts to divide society and isolate Kerala from the rest of India.

“A developed Kerala requires unity, harmony and a secure society,” he said.

Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, CPI(M) leader PA Mohamed Riyas had expressed concern over the entirety of Vande Mataram being sung during the ceremony, claiming that only its first two couplets were officially sung.

Riyas’s remarks in the Facebook post drew a sharp response from BJP MLA V Muraleedharan, who, while congratulating Congress leader Satheesan for taking oath as chief minister and supporting his government, questioned which parts of the national song were bothering the CPI(M) leader.