Karnataka High Court defers hearing in PIL challenging State order limiting Vande Mataram to 2 stanzas

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the State government's decision to limit the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at government functions [Girish Bharadwaj v State of Karnataka]..A Bench of Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice TP Vivekananda directed that the plea be listed after three weeks.This was after the State pointed out that a similar matter is pending before the Supreme Court.A petition filed by Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna is currently pending before the apex court challenging the constitutional validity of a 2026 amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, which makes intentionally preventing the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ or disrupting an assembly engaged in its singing punishable with up to three years in jail..The PIL before the High Court was filed by advocate Girish Bharadwaj through advocate Angad Kamath.