Kerala orders probe after students sing RSS song at Vande Bharat event

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Sunday ordered an investigation into an incident where school students reportedly sang an RSS song during the inauguration of the newly launched Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express train.

The decision came after a video of students performing the song during the official ceremony went viral on social media, sparking sharp criticism from various quarters. The state government termed the incident “serious” and said that using children for promoting political or ideological agendas is against constitutional principles.

Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty directed the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report at the earliest. “The government views the incident with utmost seriousness.

Using schoolchildren to promote the political ideology of any specific organization or group during official programmes is a violation of constitutional values,” the minister’s office said in an official statement.

“The DPI has been instructed to investigate whether there were any procedural lapses in allowing students to participate in an official event in this manner. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry report,” Sivankutty said.

The controversy erupted after the Southern Railway’s official social media account posted a video showing students of Saraswati Vidyalaya, a private school in Thiruvananthapuram, singing a song that critics alleged was linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The post was later deleted following public outrage, but was reposted again on Sunday with the caption, “Students of Saraswati Vidyalaya beautifully rendered their school song during the Vande Bharat Express inauguration.”

The opposition and several social groups in Kerala have accused the railway authorities of attempting to saffronize a government event. “This is part of a larger agenda to communalize institutions. The railway department must explain how an RSS-related song was permitted in an official event,” a Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, the school management has defended the performance, claiming that the students merely sang their “school anthem,” not an RSS song. “It was our institutional song, not politically motivated,” a school representative said.

The state government has made it clear that it will not tolerate any attempt to politicize educational institutions or official events involving schoolchildren.

Also Read: KL Rahul back to RCB: Karnataka billionaires interest to buy franchise