Opposition to the Union home ministry’s directive mandating the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram intensified on Thursday with the CPM formally opposing the move.

Demanding the withdrawal of the order, the party said in a statement: “Through its recent order, the government seeks to include the remaining four stanzas, which the Constituent Assembly felt did not resonate with the secular character of the Indian Republic. The BJP-led Union government is attempting to create an unnecessary controversy concerning the national song and the national anthem with ulterior motives. The BJP government should not be allowed to play with such historic cultural symbols.”

The fifth stanza of the song, taken from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel Anandamath, contains verses praising Hindu goddesses. This portion featured prominently in the Union culture ministry’s Republic Day tableau marking 150 years of
the song.

Influential Muslim cleric Arshad Madani, who heads a faction of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, posted on X: “Since a Muslim worships only one Allah, forcing him to sing this song is a clear violation of Article 25 of the Constitution and several judgments of the Supreme Court. Making this song mandatory and attempting to impose it on citizens is not an expression of patriotism; rather, it reflects electoral politics, a sectarian agenda, and a deliberate effort to divert public attention from fundamental issues. The true measure of love for one’s country lies not in slogans but in character and sacrifice.”

All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Mohammed Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi said that following Rabindranath Tagore’s advice and deliberations in the Constituent Assembly, it had been agreed that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram would be used. He argued that a secular government cannot impose the beliefs of one religion on followers of others. The song, he said, was written in the context of Bengal and includes references to the worship of Durga and other deities. “Whatever the political considerations behind implementing this decision ahead of the Bengal elections, Muslims cannot accept it, as it directly conflicts with their faith,” he added.

Former bureaucrat and MP Jawhar Sircar also criticised the directive. He wrote on Facebook: “Tagore, who considered Bankim Chandra his guru, advised the
Congress to adopt only the beautiful first two stanzas of Vande Mataram....

“But Modi has twisted it all as he is desperate to distract attention from the parliamentary siege around allegations by Gen Naravane of India’s blunders in Ladakh vis-à-vis China, India’s surrender to the US in one-sided deal, the brazenly pro-BJP CEC’s anti-people SIR, impeachment motion against Speaker.”