Karnataka High Court defers hearing on plea against State’s decision for singing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday deferred further hearing on a PIL challenging the State government’s recent decision to allow only the first two stanzas of the National Song, Vande Mataram , to be sung at official functions, in view of a pending Supreme Court case on norms requiring the singing of all six stanzas of the song and treating obstruction of its rendition as a punishable offence.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice T.P. Vivekananda adjourned the hearing on the petition filed by city-based advocate Girish Bharadwaj by three weeks after a preliminary hearing on the issues raised in the petition and the initial responses of the State and the Centre.