Southern Railway reposts video of students singing RSS Ganageetham on Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat train

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Southern Railway has once again shared on X a video showing students singing an RSS Ganageetham during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express. The same video, which had sparked controversy earlier, was removed soon after but has now been reposted with an English translation of the song.

The visuals are from the train’s first journey from Ernakulam to Bengaluru following its inauguration. In the clip, students can be heard singing the RSS song that begins with the line “Parama pavithramathaamee mannil Bharatambaye poojikan”, meaning “On this sacred land, let us worship Mother India.”

The video had sparked debate on social media, leading to its removal within hours. It remains unclear whether the students sang the song on their own or if they were taught by teachers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains on Saturday morning in Varanasi. The new routes include Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, Firozpur–Delhi, and Ernakulam–Bengaluru. According to the Railway Ministry, the new Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat will reduce travel time by over two hours, completing the journey in eight hours and forty minutes.