All 6 stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' sung during Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's oath-taking ceremony

It was followed by the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and the state song 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu'.

TVK chief C Joseph Vijay was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, after his party won the April 23 assembly elections and managed to garner outside support to cross the 118 majority mark.

Vijay was sworn in as the Tamil Nadu chief minister at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where thousands cheered for the actor-turned politician.

But among the many interesting highlights of his oath-taking ceremony was the singing of the national song 'Vande Mataram' in full. It was followed by the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and the Tamil state song 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu'.

This is probably for the first time that Vande Mataram is being sung at a government event in Tamil Nadu.

The Union Cabinet has recently approved a proposal to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to make any obstruction to the singing of the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence.

And earlier, it had directed that all six stanzas of the National Song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, shall be sung first when the National Song and National Anthem Jan Gana Man are to be played together.

In an order dated January 28, the home ministry gave the first set of protocols for singing the National Song, directing that six stanzas of it, having a duration of 3 minutes 10 seconds, shall be sung on official functions such as the arrival of the President, unfurling of the tricolour, and speeches of governors.

This gives Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

The Centre is observing the 150th year of Vande Mataram.

(With PTI inputs)