BJP and JD(S) legislators continue singing Vande Mataram during proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly.
Bengaluru, September 22, 2026: A political and legal dispute over the rendition of Vande Mataram intensified in Karnataka after BJP and JD(S) legislators continued singing the full version of the national song in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council, after the official rendition stopped after two stanzas.
The incident took place on the opening day of a three-day special session of the Karnataka Legislature. The session was convened primarily to discuss the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats and the state’s drought situation, but the Vande Mataram issue became an immediate point of political confrontation.
At the beginning of the Assembly proceedings on September 21, legislators stood for the rendition of Vande Mataram.
The official rendition ended after the first two stanzas. BJP and JD(S) legislators, however, continued singing the remaining portions of the song. Some BJP legislators sang from memory, while others used printed copies. A similar situation occurred in the Legislative Council, where BJP and JD(S) members continued with the full version after the official rendition ended.
The ruling Congress legislators subsequently proceeded with the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution, while opposition members continued the rendition. The episode led to slogans and protests inside the legislature.
The dispute stems from a Karnataka government order dated September 8, 2026, concerning the rendition of Vande Mataram at state government programmes and official ceremonies.
According to the reported order, only the first two stanzas are to be sung or played at state government programmes and official functions, except at programmes attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor.
The order was issued in the name of the Governor of Karnataka and referred to guidelines from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The government’s stated approach has therefore created a distinction between the standard rendition at most state government functions and occasions involving certain constitutional authorities.
The BJP has strongly criticised the two-stanza limitation.
BJP legislators and leaders have argued that the complete national song should be permitted during official proceedings and have objected to the state’s decision to stop the official rendition after two stanzas.
Opposition Leader R. Ashoka said BJP legislators would continue singing the full version inside and outside the Assembly. BJP leaders including B.Y. Vijayendra and other legislators have also criticised the government’s decision.
BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath alleged that the Congress government had restricted the song to two stanzas for political reasons. That is an allegation made by the BJP and has not been independently established.
The BJP’s position is that the complete version should be respected and that the state government’s restriction should be withdrawn.
The Congress government has defended its decision to limit the official rendition to two stanzas at state government programmes covered by the order.
Congress leaders have referred to the party’s historical position on the rendition of Vande Mataram and a 1937 resolution concerning the use of the song at Congress programmes.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has defended the government’s position and questioned the BJP’s approach to the issue. He has also criticised BJP legislators over their rendition of the complete song during the Assembly proceedings.
The Congress position should be distinguished from the separate question of what the Karnataka government is legally authorised to prescribe for state government functions. That legal issue is currently part of the court proceedings.
The dispute has also moved into the legal arena.
A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Karnataka High Court challenging the September 8 government order.
According to reports, the petitioner has questioned whether the Karnataka government has the authority to prescribe that only two stanzas of the national song be sung at official functions. The petition also refers to a July 9 communication from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs concerning the official rendition of Vande Mataram.
The legal proceedings therefore involve questions concerning the respective authority of the Union and state governments and the guidelines governing the official rendition of the national song.
The final legal position will depend on the court’s consideration of the petition and the applicable constitutional and administrative framework.
The issue was not limited to the Legislative Assembly.
BJP and JD(S) legislators also continued singing the full version in the Karnataka Legislative Council after the official rendition ended after two stanzas.
According to reports, the opposition members then raised slogans against the government over the decision to restrict the official rendition.
The episode resulted in the Vande Mataram dispute becoming one of the first major political confrontations of the special legislative session.
The dispute has produced strong statements from both sides.
BJP leaders have described the government’s two-stanza order as unacceptable and have demanded that the complete version be permitted.
Congress leaders, meanwhile, have defended the government’s decision and questioned the BJP’s conduct during the Assembly proceedings.
Some BJP leaders have also alleged that the government’s decision was politically motivated. The Congress has rejected such characterisations and pointed to its historical position on the rendition of Vande Mataram. These claims and counterclaims remain part of the political dispute and should not be treated as independently established facts.
The Vande Mataram controversy emerged during a special session that had been convened for other major policy issues.
The three-day Karnataka Legislature session is primarily focused on the Kasturirangan report and the Western Ghats, as well as the state’s drought situation.
The timing of the Vande Mataram dispute means that questions concerning the national song have now become an additional issue in the political exchanges between the Congress government and opposition BJP and JD(S) legislators.
The legal challenge to the September 8 order will be an important part of the next stage of the dispute.
The Karnataka High Court’s consideration of the petition could clarify questions concerning the state’s authority to prescribe the rendition at official functions and the relationship between the state order and relevant Union government guidelines.
Politically, the BJP has indicated that it will continue to oppose the two-stanza restriction, while the Congress government has defended the order.
The issue is therefore likely to remain part of Karnataka’s political debate while the court proceedings continue.
The Karnataka BJP–Congress dispute over Vande Mataram has expanded from a disagreement over government protocol into a broader political and legal issue.
The immediate trigger was the Karnataka government’s September 8 order limiting the official rendition to two stanzas at most state government programmes and official ceremonies. During the September 21 Assembly proceedings, BJP and JD(S) legislators continued singing the full version after the official rendition ended.
The Congress government has defended its position, while the BJP has demanded that the full version be permitted. A petition challenging the government order is before the Karnataka High Court, making the legal interpretation of the order an important part of the continuing dispute.
The issue is expected to remain active in Karnataka politics as the legislative session and court proceedings move forward.
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