Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has asked Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to reconsider the state government’s September 8 order restricting the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at most state government functions. The Governor’s communication has added a fresh constitutional and administrative dimension to the ongoing Vande Mataram row in Karnataka.What did the Karnataka government order say?The Congress-led Karnataka government directed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram should be sung at most state government programmes. However, the order provides an exception for functions attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor, where all six stanzas can be sung.The decision quickly became a political and legal issue, with opposition BJP leaders objecting to the restriction and questioning the state government’s authority to prescribe a shorter version for official functions.Why has Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot objected?In his communication to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Governor Gehlot referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) instructions concerning the National Song. The MHA’s published guidelines say that the official version of the National Song should be used when it is sung with mass participation.The Governor argued that these central instructions do not leave room for a state government to prescribe a separate or truncated version for its official functions. He also raised questions about the constitutional authority of the state executive to issue an order that differs from the central framework.The Governor has also referred to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 and raised legal concerns about the state order. The Ministry of Home Affairs currently lists the 2026 amendment among its national flag, emblem and anthem-related documents.What is the Karnataka government’s position?The Karnataka government has defended its two-stanza policy in proceedings before the Karnataka High Court. The state’s Advocate General, Shashi Kiran Shetty, argued that singing the National Song is not mandatory in the same way as the National Anthem and that the MHA communications should be treated as guidelines.The government has also referred to historical practice, arguing that the first two stanzas have traditionally been used at official functions.Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge separately defended the government’s decision, saying the shorter rendition follows positions associated with several prominent figures from the freedom movement.What happened in the Karnataka Assembly?"The dispute moved into the state legislature on September 21, 2026. When the officially played version of Vande Mataram ended after two stanzas at the beginning of Assembly and Council proceedings, BJP legislators continued by reciting the remaining stanzas themselves."The BJP members also raised slogans against the government over the decision. The incident turned the Karnataka Vande Mataram two-stanza order into a visible confrontation between the ruling Congress and opposition BJP inside the legislature.What is the legal status of the dispute?The state government’s order has already been challenged before the Karnataka High Court through a Public Interest Litigation. The petition questions whether a state government can prescribe the form and content of a national symbol through an executive order."The dispute is also unfolding alongside a broader legal discussion over the National Song at the national level. On September 22, the Supreme Court sought the Centre’s response to a petition challenging provisions connected with mandatory singing of all six stanzas."For now, the Karnataka government’s two-stanza order remains at the centre of the dispute, while Governor Gehlot’s request has put additional pressure on the state government to reconsider its position.Also Read : Bengal Mandates Vande Mataram in All Madrassas
