Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s General Education Minister V Sivankutty has ordered an inquiry into allegations that students sang the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) “Gana Geetham” during the inauguration ceremony of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express service.

The order followed reports and videos circulating on social media, including the Southern Railway’s official X handle, showing students performing the song.

Government takes matter ‘seriously’

Minister Sivankutty said the government views the incident with utmost seriousness and has directed the Director of General Education to submit an immediate report.

He stressed that involving students in political or communal activities during government events constitutes a violation of constitutional principles. The inquiry will examine whether students were inappropriately included in the official function and if the platform was used to promote political or ideological agendas.

“Protecting the secular national values of the country is the responsibility of the government, and we will ensure that,” Sivankutty said, adding that further action will be taken based on the inquiry’s findings.

Chief Minister condemns incident

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also condemned the alleged singing of the RSS anthem, calling it a “condemnable” act after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train on Saturday.

He stated that performing an anthem of an organisation known for its “communal ideology” violates constitutional principles. The Chief Minister accused the Railways of being used “as a tool to sneak communal ideology into official functions.”

Vijayan’s statement on social media

In a post on X, Vijayan wrote:

“The @GMSRailway making students sing the RSS anthem at the flag-off of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is highly condemnable. 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. 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. Once a proud symbol of India's secular nationalism, the Railways is now being used to sneak communal ideology into official functions. All secular and democratic forces must unite to resist this dangerous move.”

The controversy continues to stir debate in Kerala’s political and educational circles as authorities await the inquiry report.