Fracas over Vande Mataram

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S.N. Channabasappa, Shivamogga MLA, raising objections to limiting the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at the public meeting attended by CM D.K. Shivakumar at Tirthahalli on Saturday. | Photo Credit: S.K. Dinesh

S.N. Channabasappa, Shivamogga MLA, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) objected to the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram being limited to its first two stanzas at a public meeting attended by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at Tirthahalli in Shivamogga district on Saturday.

Two stanzas of the national song were presented at the beginning of the programme, followed by the State anthem. That was when Mr. Channabasappa intervened to say that the national song should not have been cut short. He appealed to the Chief Minister to ensure that the song was rendered in full.

A large section of the audience raised their voices against the MLA’s intervention. A few Congress leaders on the dais also intervened to oppose him.

Later in his address, Mr. Shivakumar said he would not play politics with people’s emotions and that his focus was only on uplifting people’s lives. “I welcome opinions from opponents and their criticism as well. The MLA has the right to express his opinion. He could have walked out in protest. Nobody would have stopped him. We have our own opinion on the issue, and we stick to it,” he said.

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