‘Vande Mataram’ row: Courts can’t dictate what nat’l song should be, says SC

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine the legality of penal consequences if a person does not sing the national song due to religious beliefs or conscientious objection, but declined to adjudicate whether ‘Vande Mataram’ should comprise two or six stanzas, saying it was best left to Parliament’s wisdom.The court was hearing a petition by Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna objecting to recital of the complete version of the national song on the ground that its last four stanzas invoked Hindu goddesses which may offend the religious beliefs of some communities.