C Joseph Vijay oath in Chennai features full Vande Mataram
At TVK chief C Joseph Vijay's swearing-in ceremony in Chennai, the entire six-stanza Vande Mataram was played before the national anthem.
This followed a new government rule that says the full song must be performed at all official functions.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was there too.
Union Cabinet grants Vande Mataram protection
This change marks a big shift from the old practice of singing just two stanzas since 1950.
The update comes as part of commemorating 144 years of Vande Mataram (first penned in 1882), with the Union Cabinet approving amendments to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, giving it the same legal protection as the national anthem.
Not everyone is on board; Congress has pushed back, saying the 1937 decision called for sensitivity to all communities and religions.
Interestingly, West Bengal skipped it during its recent ceremony even with top leaders present.