Another petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s directions mandating the singing or playing of the six-stanza version of Vande Mataram at specified official and ceremonial occasions.

The petition has been filed by Balakrishnan Sathyabhama Mavoji, a former IAS officer and former Chairman of the Kerala State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, through Advocate-on-Record Vaibhav Choudhary. It challenges the Ministry of Home Affairs’ orders dated January 28 and July 9, 2026, prescribing the official version of the National Song.

The Supreme Court has already issued notice on a plea filed by T.M. Krishna, Indian vocalist and writer, challenging the mandate requiring the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram and the penal consequences introduced for certain conduct relating to the National Song.

The petitioner contends that the orders unlawfully replace the two-stanza version traditionally sung with the six-stanza composition from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath, and violate constitutional guarantees of secularism, freedom of conscience and religious freedom.

It mentions that the six-stanza version contains invocations to Hindu goddesses and that mandating its rendition infringes fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21 and 25 of the Constitution. It also challenges the Centre’s authority to alter the established version through executive orders.

The petitioner has sought quashing of the impugned orders and a direction restraining the Centre from compelling the singing or playing of the six-stanza version at State, governmental, ceremonial and educational occasions.