# Kerala to retain two-couplet Vande Mataram protocol

2026-08-09T10:07:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

Kerala will continue singing only the first two couplets of Vande Mataram at state government programmes, Health Minister K Muraleedharan said on Sunday. Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan also rejected a full rendition. Their comments followed Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha’s August 6 letter, which said Independence Day events should include collective singing of the national song with the National Flag and that government instructions on reciting it would be followed in full. The letter cited the Centre’s Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, scheduled for August 9 to 17. The CPI(M) criticised the directive and sought its withdrawal, alleging an RSS agenda. The News Minute reported that the General Education Minister linked the circular to instructions from Lok Bhavan, while the Governor’s office denied issuing such directions. Kerala had earlier chosen the first two stanzas in the Assembly.

## Coverage

- thenewsminute.com <https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/kerala-udf-govt-faces-criticism-over-directive-to-sing-full-vande-mataram-on-i-day>
- telanganatoday.com <https://telanganatoday.com/kerala-to-continue-singing-only-first-2-couplets-of-vande-mataram-minister>
- timesnownews.com <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/not-in-this-lifetime-even-if-modi-shoots-us-down-congress-mp-says-keralam-wont-sing-full-vande-mataram-article-155401358>

Tags: CPI(M), Har Ghar Tiranga, Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, UDF, Vande Mataram
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