Published Nov 10, 2026 | 4:26 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 10, 2026 | 4:26 PM
Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan.
Synopsis: The BJP has filed a police complaint against Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan, MP Rajmohan Unnithan, MLA Kallatra Mahin and District Collector Sreedhanya Suresh for sitting down before the completion of Vande Mataram at a public function in Kasaragod. Muraleedharan accused the BJP of politicising a State government programme, saying that the approved schedule provided for a prayer rather than the full national song.
The BJP has approached the police against Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan, Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, MLA Kallatra Mahin and District Collector Sreedhanya Suresh for sitting down before the completion of Vande Mataram at a public function in Kasaragod, triggering another row over the rendition of the national song and the protocol followed at government programmes.
Gopalakrishna M, BJP’s Badiadka mandalam president, submitted a complaint to the Adhur police, alleging that the four had shown disrespect to the national song during the inauguration of a laboratory building at the Family Health Centre in Mulleria, under Karadka grama panchayat.
The controversy arose after two BJP panchayat members, Savitha Kumari P, chairperson of the standing committee for development, and Vasanthi A, chairperson of the standing committee for health and education, sang all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at the function.
The Minister, MP, MLA and Collector sat down after the first two stanzas, while Udma MLA K Neelakandan remained standing until the rendition was completed.
The laboratory building was constructed with funds from the Kasaragod Development Package and belongs to the State Health Services Department. The inauguration, however, was organised by the BJP-led Karadka panchayat, where the 16 seats are evenly divided among the BJP (eight), Congress-led UDF (five) and CPI(M)-led LDF (three).
Gopalakrishna said the BJP was particularly concerned about the Collector’s conduct, saying that a government official was expected to exercise greater responsibility than elected representatives.
He said the party wanted the Minister, MP and MLA to apologise for their alleged disrespect towards the national song. He described the Collector’s decision to sit down as especially objectionable and praised Neelakandan for remaining standing throughout the rendition.
Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in July, extending equal statutory protection to the national song Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.
The amendment makes it an offence to intentionally prevent the singing of the national song or cause a disturbance to an assembly engaged in singing it. Those found guilty face imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years, a fine, or both.
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Muraleedharan accused the BJP of attempting to turn a State government programme into a platform for its political agenda.
He said the function was organised by the Health Department because the facility belonged to the State government, and the department’s official protocol should have been followed. The programme schedule had provided for a prayer, not the full rendition of Vande Mataram, he said.
The two panchayat representatives, who had been assigned to sing the prayer, instead sang all six stanzas of the national song, the Minister alleged. He said the decision to introduce the full version was taken by an organising committee under the BJP-controlled panchayat and was not part of the approved programme.
Muraleedharan said the government would respect the protocols of programmes organised by local bodies but would not allow political organisations to take over events conducted by State government departments.
He said he would follow the BJP-ruled Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s protocol if he attended one of its programmes, just as he expected others to follow the State government’s protocol at its events.
Muraleedharan said nobody needed to lecture him on patriotism, pointing out that he was the son of a freedom fighter. He said he was prepared to face any legal proceedings initiated against him.
Separately, Kasaragod BJP district president ML Ashwini said the party would approach the Governor, Chief Secretary and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The party has alleged that the incident amounted to an insult to the national song and the Constitution. Ashwini also accused the Collector of facilitating what the BJP described as an attempt to advance the Congress’s political agenda.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
