Bengaluru: Karnataka high court Tuesday deferred hearing on a PIL plea challenging the state govt’s order restricting the singing of Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at govt programmes, except those attended by the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister or Governor.Advocate Girish Bharadwaj has challenged the Sept 8 order.A division bench of Justices Anu Sivaraman and TP Vivekananda noted that the Supreme Court is considering a challenge to the constitutional validity of the 2026 amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, which criminalises insults to Vande Mataram. The bench said the SC’s decision would directly affect the PIL and deferred the matter.The petitioner alleged the state decision violated a Centre directive. The petitioner contended that the state cabinet took the decision without a cabinet note or legal opinion and added that the state govt could not have reduced the six-stanza national song into two stanzas.The advocate general said Vande Mataram was optional, while additional solicitor general Aravind Kamath said the amendment gave it status similar to the national anthem.
