KASARGOD: A fresh controversy on ‘Vande Matharam’ erupted following the inauguration of a laboratory building at the Family Health Centre at Mulleria in Karadka panchayat on Monday. During the event, Health Minister K Muraleedharan, Kasaragod MLA Kallatra Mahin, MP Rajmohan Unnithan and district collector Sreedhanya Suresh sat down after two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ while the BJP ward members continued to sing all six stanzas of the song, triggering another debate on the matter.
The aftermath of controversy resulted in a war of words, with Muraleedharan challenging the BJP, stating that they need not teach him patriotism as he is son of a freedom fighter and that BJP’s agenda would not work out in government functions in Keralam.
Meanwhile, the local BJP unit has filed a police complaint against the minister, the MP, the MLA and the district collector for allegedly disrespecting the national song and demanding action against them.
The BJP leaders also took a dig at the collector, pointing out that she was a government official and not an elected representative. BJP Kannur Zone president K Shreekanth told media persons that three elected representatives should apologise to the nation for disrespecting the national song. The collector’s conduct was particularly serious since she was an officer entrusted to protect the constitution and the legal system, he said.
Responding to this, the minister said that it was a state government function and not the panchayat event. “If this was the panchayat programme, they could follow their own policy. We would have cooperated. But this is a state government programme and we would not accept the BJP hijacking it,” he said. He added that the state government would follow the practice of singing only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ at its functions.