Shorter national anthem at Jayalalithaa swearing-in unintentional: Experts

The playing of a shorter version of the national anthem at the swearing-in of Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Saturday triggered a controversy, but experts dismissed it as "inadvertent" and "unintentional".

At the outset of the swearing-in, it was announced that the national anthem would be played followed by Tamizh Thai Vazhthu (Invocation of Mother Tamil).

But as it turned out, a shorter version of the national anthem was played followed by Tamizh Thai Vazhthu. The shorter version involves singing of the first two lines and the last two lines and its duration is of 20 seconds.

It came as a surprise as government protocol says the full version of the anthem shall be played, besides on other occasions, "on arrival of the governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal state functions within his state/union territory and on his departure from such functions".

However, a full version of the national anthem was played at the conclusion of the swearing-in.

"It might have been an inadvertent error. I don't think there could be any intention to insult the national anthem," said former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C. Kashyap.

Constitutional expert and counsel K.V. Vishwanathan said: "What is reported to have happened at Chennai is not a case of intentional prevention. The shorter version and longer version, both appear to have been sung."

Vishwanathan said section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 only makes intentional prevention of the singing of the national anthem or causing disturbance to any assembly an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.