Kozhikode I-Day ceremony descends into chaos as councillors sing over each other

The Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at the Kozhikode Corporation in Kerala on Saturday turned chaotic as two groups of councillors sang the national anthem and the national song simultaneously. Mayor O. Sadasivan had announced the national anthem after hoisting the flag, but as the ruling CPI(M) and opposition UDF councillors began singing Jana Gana Mana, about seven BJP councillors started singing the full version of Vande Mataram. Both groups continued despite the confusion, and the Mayor and other councillors departed after finishing the anthem, while the BJP councillors persisted.

BJP councillor T. Raneesh said the party had notified the Mayor in advance that its councillors would sing Vande Mataram, alleging the simultaneous rendition disrespected both songs. Deputy Mayor S. Jayasree criticised the BJP for singing over the national anthem, stating the Corporation traditionally sang Jana Gana Mana and that the national song could have followed. The incident comes amid a national debate over the Union government's Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, which included a central directive to sing the song at events.

Separately, in New Delhi, a video from the Congress headquarters showed party chairperson Sonia Gandhi gesturing during the full rendition of Vande Mataram. BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused Congress of insulting the national song, while Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Sonia was asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was standing for a long time. Ramesh added that since a 1937 Congress Working Committee meeting, the party has sung only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, following objections from Muslims who considered the song idolatrous.