Karnataka govt events to play 2 stanzas of Vande Mataram:President, Governor events exempt; Congress earlier firmed on 2-stanza

The Karnataka government on Thursday issued an order stating that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at government programmes. The order will apply to government programmes held in the state. However, programmes attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor have been exempted. On July 9 this year, the Union Home Ministry had directed that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung along with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, at all government programmes. After this, on August 19, the Congress Working Committee decided to follow its 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram. Under this resolution, only two stanzas of the national song are sung at party programmes. Congress had decided that two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung The Congress Working Committee meeting was held at Indira Bhavan in New Delhi. As many as 88 leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, attended the meeting. The Congress Working Committee had announced that the party would sing only the first two of Vande Mataram’s six stanzas at all its programmes. The decision came after a controversy over the singing of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters on August 15. The Congress decision came after the BJP accused Congress leaders of insulting Vande Mataram by not singing its full version at party programmes. Law on insulting Vande Mataram enacted in 2026 On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly declared Vande Mataram the national song. For a long time, there was no separate law dealing with its insult. However, during the 2026 Monsoon Session, the central government enacted the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. Under this law, deliberately stopping the singing of Vande Mataram, disrupting it or publicly insulting it has been made a punishable offence. The offence carries a punishment of up to three years in jail, a fine, or both. This year, for the first time, all six stanzas of Vande Mataram were sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15. Centre’s order: Vande Mataram first, followed by Jana Gana Mana On July 9, the Home Ministry issued new guidelines to all states, Union Territories and central ministries regarding the singing and playing of the national song Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. The guidelines called for the correct lyrics, pronunciation and prescribed protocol to be followed for both. According to the guidelines, if both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana are sung or played at an event, Vande Mataram will be performed first, followed by the national anthem. If a state or Union Territory also has its own state song, the order will be the state song first, followed by Vande Mataram and finally Jana Gana Mana.