Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 (IANS) The Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will turn Independence Day into a statewide show of nationalism, with ‘Vande Mataram’ to be sung in full at 15,000 centres across the state, said State party President and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar here on Thursday.
The programme will see the national flag being hoisted and the full version of the national song sung at locations ranging from party booths to panchayat, constituency and district centres.
BJP workers will lead the events, which are part of a nationwide campaign being organised at lakhs of locations.
Chandrasekhar said the initiative was intended to reinforce the message of national unity and patriotism and to counter what he described as “attempts to insult Vande Mataram and lend political support to forces hostile to the country”.
“By holding aloft the Tricolour, the BJP will remain at the forefront of the struggle to protect India’s unity, integrity and sovereignty and to build a developed India,” he added.
The BJP leader sought to turn the programme into a broader political message, accusing the CPI-M and Congress of extending political support to forces that, according to him, seek to weaken the country.
The people of Kerala would recognise such positions, he said.
The State BJP Chief added that Vande Mataram had an inseparable connection with India’s freedom struggle and that preserving its significance was the responsibility of every Indian.
“By singing Vande Mataram in unison at 15,000 centres across Kerala on Independence Day, the BJP will send a strong message of nationalism and patriotism,” Chandrasekhar said.
The programme will be conducted at the booth, panchayat, constituency and district levels, with party workers coordinating the events.
The BJP has planned similar programmes across the country, with the Kerala initiative forming part of the larger national campaign.
The announcement comes as political parties prepare for Independence Day programmes across the state, with the BJP seeking to give its celebrations a distinctly nationalist character.
With 15,000 centres targeted in Kerala alone, the exercise is expected to make ‘Vande Mataram’ a prominent feature of the party’s Independence Day celebrations and provide the BJP with an opportunity to underline its nationalist plank in a state where the party is seeking to expand its political footprint.
–IANS
sg/khz