Kerala CM says UDF unaware full version of Vande Mataram will be sung at swearing-in, ceremony as per Lok Bhavan’s arrangements

The full version of Vande Mataram was sung at the United Democratic Front (UDF) government's swearing-in ceremony as per Lok Bhavan's arrangements, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Satheesan said he was not aware of it until it was sung on the stage.

"Could I have gone and stopped the song midway?" asked Mr. Satheesan.

The recital of all the six stanzas of Vande Mataram at the swearing-in ceremony had kicked up a row with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] calling it a move that undermined secularism and pluralism and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s mouthpiece Organiser hailing it.

The CPI(M) State secretariat said the Congress Working Committee itself had taken the stand that rendering Vande Mataram in its entirety of six stanzas was unsuitable for a pluralistic society. Parts of the song were trimmed as part of an official resolution of the working committee on October 30, 1937. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly had clarified that only the first eight lines of Vande Mataram should be rendered as the national song.

Regarding the criticism even from within the Congress over the mention of his caste surname while taking oath of office, Mr. Satheesan said he wanted to mention his father's name at the momentous occasion. “I wanted to mention my mother's name too, but couldn't,” he said.

Among those who criticised him was Congress leader Jinto John, who said it was better for the Congress to shed caste names to be more inclusive. An old video of Mr. Satheesan swearing-in as MLA with no mention of the caste name is circulating on social media.