Kerala Congress Leader Defends 'Gana Geetham' as Patriotic Amid RSS Anthem Controversy

Thiruvananthapuram:

A Congress leader from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram has shared his perspective on the significant controversy involving the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and opposition parties. NS Nisoor has stated that the contentious song "Gana Geetham" is patriotic in nature and has no connection to the RSS.

The RSS had adopted "Gana Geetham" as its anthem, and when school children performed it during the inaugural journey of the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express on Saturday, it ignited a major controversy.

In an unusual alignment, Kerala's governing CPM and the opposition Congress have united in their criticism. Both parties have denounced the selection of the song, arguing it exploited children for political purposes. The state government has initiated an investigation into the incident.

During an exclusive interview with NDTV, NS Nisoor performed a portion of the song and declared, "I am a Muslim. I am a patriot. I sang this song during my boy scout days."

He continued, "This song is about patriotism. How can a song that names Bhagat Singh, Ramakrishna, Narayana Guru and Jhansi ki Rani be an RSS song?" He emphasized that the RSS "cannot claim it as their own."

When questioned about diverging from his party's position, he responded, "I am a Congressman. This is my personal opinion."

Kerala's ruling CPM has criticized the use of the song at a government event, describing it as a clear violation of constitutional principles.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, "Including the anthem of an organisation known for its communal ideology and hate mongering in an official event is a blatant violation of constitutional principles."

He further remarked on social media, "By sharing the video on its social media handles, the railway authorities have exposed how eminent national institutions are being subverted by Sangh Parivar politics."

Congress leader VD Satheesan has expressed concern about students being involved in such activities.

The school has refuted claims that the railways selected the song, explaining that the children chose it themselves when media requested them to perform a Malayalam song for the occasion.

In an official statement, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal condemned the decision to have students perform the song. He described it as part of a "dangerous attempt to saffronise the country's public institutions" by connecting government events with RSS narratives.

He also criticized the posting of the video on Southern Railway's official Facebook page, calling it "deeply unfortunate" and suggesting misuse of government resources.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi has defended the performance, saying the song was part of children's innocent celebration. "They felt like singing the song at the moment, and they did so. Anyway, it is not an extremist song."