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Bengaluru: A decision by the Karnataka government to prescribe the singing of only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ at state government functions has triggered a sharp political exchange, with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and KPCC president BK Hariprasad hitting back at the Bharatiya Janta Party’s criticism.

Shivakumar said the Congress had already made its position clear on the issue and accused the BJP of using the government directive for political purposes.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the Chief Minister said, “Our party’s stand on Vande Mataram is clear. We are the ones who brought the national anthem. They are doing politics.”

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The BJP had objected to the government’s decision to restrict the rendition at official functions to the first two stanzas.

Hariprasad strongly defended the government’s move and said the decision was connected with national unity and the historical significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ during the freedom struggle.

He said Congress leaders would continue to stand by the decision even in the face of severe opposition. “They can send us to jail or hang us, but we will say that Vande Mataram should be only two paragraphs,” he said.

Hariprasad also launched a scathing attack on the BJP, questioning its right to lecture others on patriotism. He alleged that those criticising the order had themselves failed to regularly uphold the national anthem and Gandhi’s legacy.

He went on to challenge the BJP to an open debate on the subject and alleged that its historical conduct during British rule would come under scrutiny if such a discussion took place.

The government’s order specifies that only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ should be sung during state government programmes. The directive is applicable to official state functions, while special arrangements have been made for events attended by senior constitutional authorities.

The order makes it clear that programmes attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor will be conducted in accordance with the protocol prescribed by the Union government.

The dispute has now expanded beyond the wording of the government order, with the Congress and BJP trading accusations over nationalism and the historical legacy of the freedom movement.

The latest confrontation is likely to keep the issue in the political spotlight as the two parties defend their respective interpretations of the government’s decision and its significance.