Christian and Muslim organisations have mounted strong opposition to the Central government’s recent directive mandating the singing of all six stanzas of the song Vande Mataram at official functions and schools, with several groups threatening to approach the Supreme Court if the order is not withdrawn.
The Andhra Pradesh Christian Leaders Forum expressed its objections at a press conference in Vijayawada on February 17, demanding immediate withdrawal of the newly added verses. State chairman Oliver Rayi said while Christians have never objected to Vande Mataram being sung earlier, the four newly included stanzas contain references to Goddess Durga, a Hindu deity, which undermine Christian beliefs and sentiments.
“India is a secular nation and a confluence of diverse cultures, traditions, castes and religions. Imposing religiously loaded content in educational institutions is unacceptable,” Rayi said. He recalled that earlier leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had clarified that only the first two stanzas should be rendered.
Earlier Muslim bodies had voiced strong opposition on February 12. All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesperson S.Q.R. Ilyas termed the directive unconstitutional and against religious freedom. “The song contains references to the worship and veneration of Durga and other deities, which contradicts the beliefs of Muslims,” he said, adding that Islam does not permit any form of associating partners with God.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Arshad Madani termed it “a blatant attack on religious freedom” of minorities. He said some verses of the song portray the homeland as a deity, contradicting the fundamental belief of monotheistic religions. “Forcing a Muslim to sing this song is in direct contravention to Article 25 of the Constitution,” Madani said in a statement, describing the decision as reflecting “electoral politics, a sectarian agenda, and a deliberate effort to divert public attention from fundamental issues.”
The controversy stems from a January 27 order issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs directing police chiefs and chief secretaries of states and Union Territories that all six stanzas of the song, lasting three minutes and 10 seconds, must be sung at official events including the arrival of the President, unfurling of the national flag, and speeches by governors.
The protocol also stipulates that when the song and National Anthem are performed together, Vande Mataram must be sung first. Audiences are required to stand at attention during its performance, though an exception has been made for cinema halls showing newsreels, documentaries or films. Schools across the country have been instructed to begin their day with community singing of the song.
The move forms part of a year-long celebration of Vande Mataram launched by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government. The new guidelines restore all six stanzas of the original poem by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, including four stanzas omitted in 1937 due to their religious content.
The issue has been building since November 2025. On November 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long commemoration marking 150 years of Vande Mataram and accused the opposition Congress party of removing key stanzas in 1937, stating this “sowed the seeds of partition” and reflected a “divisive mindset” that remains a challenge for the country. India was partitioned in 1947 into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The same day, BJP spokesperson C.R. Kesavan accused Congress in a post on social media of “pandering to its communal agenda” by removing stanzas that hailed Goddess Durga.
On November 10, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced at a unity march in Gorakhpur that singing Vande Mataram would be made compulsory in all educational institutions in the state. He warned against “new Jinnahs” emerging when the song is disrespected, referring to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. He said those who oppose it insult India’s unity.
In 1937, the Congress Working Committee, then leading India’s independence movement, recommended that only the first two stanzas be sung at national gatherings. The committee, which included prominent independence leaders, acted on advice from Rabindranath Tagore. The decision noted that the first two stanzas celebrate India’s natural beauty without religious imagery, while later stanzas contain explicit references to Hindu deities including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
Legal experts point out that unlike the National Anthem, Vande Mataram is not protected under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. In 2022, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that while the 1971 law makes it an offence to prevent singing of the National Anthem, similar penal provisions have not been made for the song.
A landmark 1986 Supreme Court ruling in the Bijoe Emmanuel case established that citizens cannot be forced to sing if it violates their religious conscience, though standing respectfully is required. The case involved Jehovah’s Witnesses who were expelled from school for not singing the National Anthem. Currently, refusing to sing Vande Mataram does not carry any specific jail sentence, as the February 2026 mandate is an executive order rather than a law passed by Parliament.
Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and first published in a literary journal, Vande Mataram, which translates to “I bow to thee, Mother,” emerged as a rallying cry during the Swadeshi movement of 1905-08 against British colonial rule and became closely associated with India’s freedom struggle.
