Legal debate over cutting Vande Matrm to six lines in Karnataka events

Bengaluru, 22 September – The Karnataka High Court is hearing arguments on a petition that challenges the state's decision to curtail the rendition of Vande Matrm to just two verses during official ceremonies.

Petitioner Girish Bhardwaj, represented by senior counsel Angad Kamat, maintains that any amendment to the performance of the national song must emanate from the Union Government. He referenced existing Home Ministry notifications that set the standard format, duration, and sequence for both the anthem and the song.

According to Kamat, the full composition includes six verses and requires roughly three minutes to perform. He asserted that the Karnataka cabinet’s order to abbreviate the song is procedurally flawed, lacking a formal proposal from any department and missing a cabinet note or auxiliary paperwork.

Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, speaking for the state, questioned the petition's timing, noting it was filed on a holiday and rushed for a hearing the following day. Shetty reminded the bench of Supreme Court guidance that the national song is not a mandatory rendition, unlike the national anthem.

Shetty also cited a 2022 communication from the Centre’s Joint Secretary, which listed events where the full Vande Matrm may be played and reiterated that two verses have historically sufficed for most occasions.

The controversy has drawn political fire, with the Union Education Minister warning that the issue would be tabled in Parliament. Opposition lawmakers responded by performing the entire Vande Matrm in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, openly flouting the state’s two‑verse limitation.