Uttara Kannada MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri triggers controversy with remarks on national anthem

Honnavar: 06 November,2025 (Bhatkallys News Bureau) Uttara Kannada MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri has found himself at the centre of a controversy after his remarks about India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ went viral, triggering widespread discussion.

Speaking at the National Unity Walk for Aatmanirbhar Bharat event held recently in Honnavar, Kageri said that Jana Gana Mana was originally composed to welcome the British rulers.

He added that Vande Mataram should have been made the national anthem, calling it an equally powerful song that had deeply inspired India’s freedom movement.

The MP said that though there had been strong demand before Independence to declare Vande Mataram as the national anthem, the country’s forefathers decided to include both songs, as Jana Gana Mana had been written in honour of a British official’s visit. “We have accepted and continue to honour Jana Gana Mana as our nation