Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP will launch a five-day statewide padayatra across all 224 Assembly constituencies from September 15, opposing the Congress government’s decision to restrict the singing of Vande Mataram to two stanzas at official government programmes.
Announcing the programme, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra said the party would use the padayatra to build public pressure on the government to withdraw its decision and allow all six stanzas of the national song to be sung.
Addressing reporters at the BJP office in Malleswaram, Vijayendra said Vande Mataram was not merely a song but a powerful symbol of India’s freedom struggle and had played an important role in inspiring patriotic sentiment among people during the movement against British rule.
“The Congress government should withdraw its decision,” Vijayendra said, referring to the recent Cabinet decision under Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to restrict the rendition of Vande Mataram to two stanzas at government functions.
He questioned the rationale behind limiting the song and said the Union government had decided that all six stanzas should be sung. The Karnataka government’s decision, he claimed, amounted to disrespecting a song that had inspired generations of Indians.
The BJP president also accused the Congress government of taking the decision with an eye on minority votes. He said CM Shivakumar should take a lesson from the Jammu and Kashmir government, which, according to him, had allowed all six stanzas of Vande Mataram to be sung.
The proposed padayatra will be conducted simultaneously across the state, covering all 224 Assembly constituencies. BJP workers and leaders are expected to mobilise people at the constituency level and use the campaign to highlight the government’s attempt to dilute the importance of the national song.
Vijayendra said the BJP would make the Vande Mataram issue a major public campaign and seek support from people across communities. He maintained that patriotism should not be viewed through the prism of religion or electoral considerations.
How far will @INCKarnataka take its politics of appeasement? The DK Shivakumar led government has now ordered that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung at State Government programmes, while permitting the complete rendition at programmes attended by the President,… pic.twitter.com/C8f0R1tN7w
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) September 11, 2026
The BJP leader said the party believed in the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” and accused the Congress of pursuing what he described as minority appeasement.
The Vande Mataram campaign is also expected to become part of a larger BJP mobilisation programme in Karnataka. Vijayendra said the party would organise a series of activities during the month-long Seva Sankalpa Abhiyan from September 17 to October 17, marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years in public service.
According to Vijayendra, the BJP plans to conduct 12 major programmes at booth and household levels during the campaign. These include the “Bharata Kanasu” programme involving painting and speech competitions for students, “Namo Seva” street plays, Anganwadi Milan and “Badalavane Kathe”, aimed at highlighting the impact of central government schemes on beneficiaries.
The party will also organise Viksit Bharat Sankalpa Yatra and Seva Jyoti Yatra programmes. A special pilgrimage-style initiative involving the transportation of sacred water from different rivers to Varanasi is also planned.
The BJP has announced a series of service-oriented activities, including blood donation camps, tree plantation drives, cleanliness programmes, health camps, plastic awareness campaigns and cyber-security awareness initiatives.
Through the Seva Setu campaign, BJP workers will disseminate information about welfare schemes of the Union government and assist eligible beneficiaries in registering for them. Another programme, Rangoli Rashtra, will also be organised.
In Bengaluru, a National Innovation Challenge is planned, with participation expected from students, IT professionals and start-up entrepreneurs. A “Janasevak Mahakumbh” will bring together elected representatives ranging from panchayat-level representatives to Members of Parliament.
The party plans a mass Vande Mataram singing event as part of the campaign. Vijayendra said around 1.25 lakh elected representatives would participate and sing all six stanzas of the song, with the BJP projecting the event as an attempt to create a world record.
The BJP president criticised the government over its policies concerning reservations and accused it of making different promises to communities while following a different course in practice. He also said the BJP would work to secure greater social, educational, economic and political opportunities for the Golla community.
Vijayendra further targeted Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over his reported ambition to return as Chief Minister after the 2028 Assembly elections. He described Shivakumar’s expectation of retaining the top post as a “daydream” and claimed the Congress would not be able to prevent the BJP from returning to power.
He alleged that the state government was more interested in projects such as the tunnel road, Bidadi township and a proposed airport in Kanakapura than in addressing the concerns of farmers and poorer sections.
Vijayendra also questioned the government’s focus on youth organisations, alleging that issues such as gambling and drug networks were growing in parts of the state while large numbers of government vacancies remained unfilled.
On the Enforcement Directorate’s recent searches linked to Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Vijayendra said the BJP had no role in the raids. He suggested that the possibility of internal rivalry within the Congress could not be ruled out and referred to speculation that political opponents within the party might have provided information to the central agency.
