THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Friday said that rendering the national song, Vande Mataram, in full was not mandatory as there was no law enacted by the Parliament in that regard.
Satheesan was responding to reporters' queries regarding Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressing concern over Vande Mataram not being sung in full in the state Assembly when he was present for the UDF government's policy address.
Arlekar was displeased that neither was the song sung in full, it was only played by a band.
Satheesan said that the Congress and its UDF alliance work within the framework of a political ideology and is governed according to the decisions of the party's central leadership.
He said that the party's central leadership has a clear stand on the issue and that is applicable to the alliance also.
The CM also said that singing the Vande Mataram in full was not mandatory as there was no law enacted in that regard by the Parliament. "There are only some guidelines issued by the Parliament," he said.