Omar Abdullah Defends Full Vande Mataram Rendition as Law

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended his government's decision to stand for the full rendition of the national song Vande Mataram at an official function, saying the complete version is a statutory obligation that applies across India and that his administration is bound to comply with it regardless of his party's own position. He made the remarks to reporters in Srinagar on Thursday, September 10, 2026, amid a public disagreement with his pre-poll alliance partner, the Congress. The dispute began after Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stood through all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at the inauguration of the first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar on September 7. The event at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre was attended by two governors, a lieutenant governor and the acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, which the Chief Minister cited as requiring full protocol. Congress general secretary K.C.