The Karnataka High Court dismissed a PIL challenging the Centre’s advisory on singing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram in schools. The Court ruled that the advisory is optional, noting there is no law making the national song mandatory.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged the Central government’s recent advisory suggesting that schools may begin their day by singing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, including those that mention Hindu deities.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha clearly stated that it was not willing to examine the matter further, mainly because there is no law that makes singing the national song compulsory.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aravind Kamath informed the Court that the advisory issued by the Union Home Ministry only uses the word “may”, which means schools are not forced to follow it. He also pointed out that a similar petition had already been rejected by the Supreme Court of India.
Taking note of this, the Court observed,
“Concededly, the national song is not covered under any statutory framework. ASG also points out that the orders mentioned the word “may” and it is not mandatory. The performance of national song is not mandatory unlike the national anthem. He also points out similar plea was dismissed by Supreme Court,”
before dismissing the petition.
The PIL was filed by advocate Somashekhar Rajavamshi, who argued that even though the advisory appears optional, it indirectly pressures students in government-funded schools to sing all six stanzas daily. He clarified that he does not object to the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, which are commonly accepted and sung across the country.
However, the issue arose after the Centre’s February 2026 advisory suggested including all six stanzas as the official version. The petitioner specifically objected to the additional stanzas (3 to 6), stating that they contain references to Hindu deities such as Durga, Lakshmi (Kamala), and Saraswati (Vani).
According to the petitioner, this could violate constitutional rights, including:
- Freedom of religion under Articles 25 to 28
- Right to equality under Article 14
- The principle of secularism, which is part of the Constitution’s basic structure
He argued that the government cannot impose a religiously influenced version of a national symbol on students through an executive instruction.
The petitioner requested the Court to declare the Centre’s notification unconstitutional, particularly the part that includes the additional stanzas and promotes their daily singing in schools.
When the Court indicated that it was not inclined to proceed with the case, Rajavamshi tried to argue that his petition was different from the one dismissed earlier by the Supreme Court. Despite this, the Bench remained firm and refused to spend further judicial time on the matter.
In conclusion, the Court emphasized that since singing the national song is not mandatory, there is no strong legal ground to challenge the advisory, and therefore dismissed the PIL.
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