Karnataka assembly session begins amid BJP protest over Vande Mataram rendition
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
The Karnataka legislature’s special session opened on Monday amid uproar over the national song, Vande Mataram , after the official audio rendition in the assembly ended after two stanzas while BJP l egislators continued to recite its full version.
Adding to this, MPs stand for “Vande Matram” before adjournment of Lok Sabha on the last day of the Winter Session of Parliament. (ANI/Sansad TV) (Representative Image) The three-day special session was convened to discuss the severe drought in the state and the implications of the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats. The assembly proceedings began with Vande Mataram but the recording stopped after two stanzas. The BJP legislators objected by raising slogans and singing the complete version of the song.
Meanwhile, A similar protest unfolded in the legislative council where BJP members recited the remaining stanzas while Chairman Saleem Ahmed began reading the Preamble to the Constitution as is customary at the start of proceedings. The members later raised slogans against the government over the decision to limit the rendition.
Notably, The confrontation followed a September 8 government order directing that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be played or sung at state government programmes and official ceremonies, except those attended by the President, Vice President, Prime Minister or Governor.
As per the latest buzz, The order, issued in the name of the Governor of Karnataka’s name, shared it was based on guidelines from the Union home ministry.
In further updates, BJP MLA SR Vishwanath accused the Congress government of restricting the song to appease its central leadership.
On top of that, “To please Sonia Gandhi, the Congress government in Karnataka, led by chief minister DK Shivakumar, brought it to the cabinet and shared we will sing only two paragraphs, not the full song. To please the Congress high command, they have truncated Vande Mataram, which is equal to the national anthem. We strongly oppose this. Today, in Vidhana Soudha, if they truncate it, all BJP MLAs will sing the full Vande Mataram song, even if they try to stop us.”
The BJP legislators subsequently recited the complete song in the assembly.
Source: Hindustan Times