Keralam CM Defends Vande Mataram Protocol at Vice Prez Functions

Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday said the state government would follow the prescribed Central protocol when the President, Vice-President or Prime Minister attends a government function, while reiterating his party's position on the recitation of Vande Mataram.

Responding to a question about the controversy over the full recitation of the national song at the recent valedictory function of the week-long Onam celebrations attended by Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar here,



Satheesan said the state government could not reject the central protocol applicable to such programmes.

"When the President, Vice-President or Prime Minister attends a programme, the protocol is decided by the Centre. The state government does not have the authority to reject that protocol," he said. 

Satheesan said the Congress, which leads the UDF government in Keralam, had taken a clear decision that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be sung at party programmes and other programmes organised by it.