Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Response on Pleas Challenging Compulsory Singing of Full Version of Vande Mataram

• The Supreme Court has sought the Central government's response to two petitions challenging MHA orders.
• These orders mandate the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at formal State events.
• One petitioner, a Buddhist activist, termed the orders Islamophobic, citing anti-Muslim invectives in the full song.
• Another petitioner, an ex-IAS officer, described the full version of Vande Mataram as a "religious war song."
• The petitions argue the MHA orders illegally replace a 79-year-old practice of singing a non-theistic two-stanza version.

The current mandate, according to Borkar, replaces this historically accepted version with one that includes content deemed problematic due to its alleged anti-Muslim sentiments.

The Supreme Court of India has formally requested a response from the Central government concerning two petitions challenging directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). These directives stipulate the mandatory singing of all six stanzas of the national song, Vande Mataram, at formal State events. This action by the apex court marks a significant Supreme Court Vande Mataram full version challenge, drawing national attention to the protocols surrounding patriotic observances. The judicial bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, has issued notice on these pleas, indicating a serious examination of the compulsory national song India policy.

The two distinct legal proceedings, titled BD Borkar v. Union of India and Balakrishnan Sathyabhama Mavoji v. Union of India, specifically contest the MHA's orders. These petitions bring into sharp focus questions regarding the scope of governmental authority in cultural mandates, the historical evolution of national symbols, and the potential impact on diverse religious sentiments within the country.

One of the primary petitioners is BD Borkar, a Buddhist and civil rights activist based in Nagpur. Borkar's plea asserts that the MHA's directives are "Islamophobic," contending that the complete six-stanza version of Vande Mataram contains explicit anti-Muslim invectives. This forms a critical component of the Vande Mataram Islamophobic challenge now before the Supreme Court, raising concerns about the song's suitability for universal mandatory recitation.

Concurrently, a separate petition has been filed by an ex-IAS officer, who has characterized the full rendition of the national song as a "religious war song." Both petitioners are directly targeting specific Government Orders (GOs) issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on January 28 and July 9, 2026. These GOs, which are central to the MHA Vande Mataram orders challenge, are officially designated as "Orders relating to singing or playing of the National Song and the National Anthem of India," thereby establishing the regulatory framework under scrutiny.

Activist BD Borkar's argument further details that the impugned GOs unlawfully supersede a practice that has been observed for 79 years. This long-standing tradition involved the singing of a distinct, non-theistic two-stanza poem of Vande Mataram. The current mandate, according to Borkar, replaces this historically accepted version with one that includes content deemed problematic due to its alleged anti-Muslim sentiments.

Borkar's plea also provides crucial historical context, pointing out that the two-stanza version of Vande Mataram, which was composed in the early 1870s, predates the publication of the novel Anandamath. This novel was authored by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who is also the original writer of Vande Mataram. The earlier, pre-Anandamath rendition of the song is specifically noted for its focus on paying tribute to the natural landscape, a characteristic that contrasts sharply with the more extensive and religiously charged version now being enforced.

Lawyers advising government entities, educational institutions, or cultural organizations should monitor this Supreme Court challenge to the mandatory full Vande Mataram singing, as the outcome could impact compliance obligations regarding national song protocols and religious freedom considerations at state events.

Source: Reporting based on legal news source