CHENNAI: Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan told the Madras High Court that the Union Home Ministry has not insisted that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung last, but has only stated that when the national anthem and national song Vande Mataram are sung together, Vande Mataram must be sung first.

Sundaresan, appearing for the Union government, informed a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan that the petition had become infructuous as the Union Home Ministry had issued a fresh notification.

He further submitted that the Union Home Ministry had not insisted that Tamil Thai Vazhthu be sung last, but had only stated that when the national anthem and the national song were sung together, Vande Mataram should be sung first. The bench thereafter adjourned the hearing of the case to next week.

The petition, filed by Ananya Radhakrishnan, contended that placing Tamil Thai Vazhthu in the third position during the ceremony caused deep anguish among the people and amounted to an unwarranted dilution of the ceremonial dignity traditionally accorded to the State song.

According to the petitioner, a circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated January 28 titled ‘Orders Relating to the National Song of India’ does not impose any constitutional, statutory or executive prohibition against commencing official State functions with an officially recognised State song. The plea stated that the circular merely regulated the order between the National Song and the National Anthem, when both were rendered together and is silent on State songs, including Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

The plea sought to quash the circular and direct the authorities to issue appropriate protocol guidelines ensuring that Tamil Thai Vazhthu is rendered at the commencement of official State functions and constitutional ceremonies, and was not relegated to a position subsequent to Vande Mataram or the National Anthem in the absence of any express constitutional, statutory or binding executive mandate.