Kalaburagi, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday took a swipe at BJP leaders amid the ongoing political controversy over the rendition of Vande Mataram, challenging Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra to sing the full National Song without using a teleprompter.
Speaking in Kalaburagi, Kharge said he was ready to arrange a platform for the two BJP leaders to demonstrate that they could sing the complete song without assistance.
“We know only two stanzas. BJP MLAs have left the platform claiming that it is an insult. I am preparing a platform for R. Ashoka and B.Y. Vijayendra. Let them sing Vande Mataram without a teleprompter,” he said.
Kharge further said BJP leaders should sing the full version after practising it, adding that they must have been preparing since the previous day.
His remarks came amid a wider political dispute over the number of stanzas of Vande Mataram to be sung at official and public programmes. A PIL challenging the Karnataka government’s decision to limit its rendition to the first two stanzas was filed in the Karnataka High Court on September 15. The petitioner has cited a Union government directive calling for the official version to be sung at mass events.
Kharge also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not know how to sing the entire song, though the claim was made as part of his political criticism.
On the proposed special session of the Karnataka Assembly, Kharge said the government had convened it to discuss issues concerning the people, alleging that Opposition parties had disrupted the Monsoon Session.
He said the government was also prepared to discuss alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) recruitment process and challenged the BJP to participate in the debate.
Responding to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s allegations over the KPSC issue, Kharge said Kumaraswamy had earlier alleged his involvement and later asked him to take moral responsibility.
Kharge also questioned why BJP leaders were not focusing on suspended KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar, who is under investigation in connection with alleged irregularities. The KPSC veterinary recruitment probe has identified candidates suspected of paying to facilitate cheating, while investigators have also examined the role of the suspended chairman.
The remarks come amid a continuing political confrontation between the Congress government and the BJP over both the KPSC controversy and the Vande Mataram issue.
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