"Don't Know Why": Kerala Principal On Probe Into Students Singing RSS Song

Kerala school students singing a rendition of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) "gana geetham" (anthem) during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express on Saturday, has sparked controversy with the state government ordering a probe into the matter. Amid this, the school principal has come out in support of the students, saying it is a "patriotic song" and was "not sung on the directives of the Southern Railway."

What Is The Controversy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually inaugurated the Ernakulam - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express. Soon after the inauguration, a video of the students singing the RSS song onboard the Vande Bharat train was shared by Southern Railway.

Following online criticism, the video was taken down before being shared again along with English translation.

The students of Saraswathi Vidyalaya beautifully performed their school song during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express pic.twitter.com/uvauXy9e6k

— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) November 8, 2025

What School Said

Justifying the rendition of the song by the students, Dinto K P, the principal of Saraswathi Vidyanikethan Public School in Elamakkara, said it was a patriotic song.

He said it was not sung as directed by the Southern Railway, but children chose to sing it themselves as a Malayalam patriotic song, as reported by the news agency PTI.

The principal also admitted that the school authorities had sent letters to the office of the Prime Minister and Union Railway Minister when the video of the song was removed from the X handle of the Southern Railway following the row.

"We don't know why did the state Education Minister has ordered a probe into the matter. We will think about going legal way if the General Education Department goes ahead with its action," he added.

The children, who sang the song, are being subjected to cyber bullying and branded as "Sanghi kids" on social media platforms, the principal said.

'Violation Of Constitutional Principles': Kerala Orders Probe

General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday instructed the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) to conduct inquiry and submit a report in this regard. In a statement issued by the minister's office, Sivankutty said the government views the incident with utmost seriousness.

Politicising children at government events and using them to promote the communal agenda of any group is a violation of constitutional principles, he said.

The government has a responsibility to uphold the secular and national values of the country, and steps will be taken to ensure that these principles are protected, Sivankutty added.

"Blatant Violation Of Constitutional Principles": Kerala Chief Minister

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the act and called it a blatant violation of constitutional principles.

"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," the Chief Minister wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Once a proud symbol of India's secular nationalism, the Railways, Vijayan said, is now "being used to sneak communal ideology into official functions."

He further called for "all secular and democratic forces must unite to resist this dangerous move."

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…

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) November 8, 2025

"Not An Extremist Song": BJP Defends The Act

Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday justified the students singing the RSS song onboard the newly inaugurated train. It was part of the innocent celebration of children, he told reporters in Thrissur.

"They felt to sing that song at the moment, and they did so. Anyway, it's not an extremist song," the union minister of state for petroleum, natural gas, and tourism added.

George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, also strongly defended the singing of the RSS anthem and asked what is communal in a 'gana geetham".

He also said those who try to propagate anti-India sentiments abroad may not like the song.