Singing two stanzas of Vande Mataram is as per State government’s order: U.T. Khader

Defending the rendition of the first two stanzas of the national song, Vande Mataram , at the beginning of the quarterly Karnataka Development Plan review meeting in Mangaluru on Tuesday (September 15), Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister U.T. Khader said this was as per recent orders of the State government.

“In the Union government programmes, all the six stanzas of the national song will be sung. As per the order of the State government, only two stanzas were sung today. If the government revises the order and asks us to sing the full song, we will follow accordingly,” Mr. Khader told reporters.

The singing of two stanzas, the Minister said, was not dishonour of the national song as defined under the provisions of Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act 2026. “For long, we have been singing two stanzas,” he said.