For second day in row, ruckus over Vande Mataram mars Himachal monsoon session

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Disrupted for Third Day Over Vande Mataram and National Anthem Row

The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly faced a third consecutive day of stalemate on Monday, as the ruling Congress and opposition BJP remained locked in a dispute over the singing of Vande Mataram and the National Anthem during the opening day of the monsoon session. The Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Pathania, issued a ruling that sessions would commence with the national anthem and conclude with the national song, but the BJP staged a walkout in protest.

The controversy began on Friday, when Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused BJP legislators of disrespecting the National Anthem during the session's proceedings. The BJP vehemently denied the charge and instead alleged that the Congress had prevented the complete rendition of Vande Mataram inside the House.

Second Day: Protests and Accusations

On Saturday, the assembly was adjourned twice—first till 2pm and later till Monday—amidst sloganeering and protests by both parties on the assembly premises. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur demanded that the Speaker play the video recording of the National Anthem from Friday's proceedings, asserting that it would prove no disrespect was shown by BJP members.

"An attempt is being made to create a perception that BJP legislators insulted the National Anthem, which is totally false. The video recording of the House while the National Anthem was being played must be played in the House to see who has insulted the National Anthem," Thakur said. He added that if the allegations against his party were not proven, the Chief Minister should apologise both inside and outside the House.

Chief Minister Sukhu reiterated that the Opposition was guilty of insulting the National Anthem and referred to an incident in which shoes were flung at the vehicle of the revenue minister that was carrying the National Flag. "The BJP does not even honour the Tricolour, as they had flung shoes on the vehicle of the revenue minister which had the National Flag on it. So they have no right to talk about insulting the National Song," he said.

Outside the assembly, the Kangra unit of the Congress staged a protest in Dharamsala, led by Kangra Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Anurag Sharma, against the alleged disrespect shown by BJP legislators. Sharma claimed that BJP members raised slogans during the rendition of 'Jana Gana Mana' and demanded that Vande Mataram be sung instead. He cited an established tradition since Independence that the National Anthem is sung at the beginning of parliamentary and assembly sessions, while the National Song is sung at the conclusion.

Sharma also accused the BJP of attempting to divert public attention by raising issues such as the NEET paper leak and donations to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Former Dharamsala Mayor Devinder Singh Jaggi, who participated in the protest, said the alleged sloganeering during the National Anthem was unacceptable and that the National Anthem is above party politics.

BJP's Counter-Protests and Demands

On Sunday, BJP legislators and party leaders, led by Jai Ram Thakur, gathered at the Ridge in Shimla and sang all six stanzas of Vande Mataram along with the National Anthem in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue. The protest lasted nearly one and a half hours and involved hundreds of party workers. Muslim community leader Bilal Ahmad Shah also joined the event.

Thakur alleged that Vande Mataram had originally been included in the Assembly's List of Business before the session began on August 21 but was removed at the last moment. He said the BJP had been demanding the video recording of proceedings for three days and had submitted a written request to the Assembly Secretary. He warned that the party would approach the Himachal Pradesh High Court if the footage was not made available.

"No decision of the Congress Working Committee can be placed above the country's democratic institutions," Thakur said, adding that India is governed by its Constitution and democratic institutions, not by the directives of any political party. He rejected allegations of disrespecting the National Anthem, stating that BJP members stood in attention during the rendition and raised the issue of Vande Mataram only after the National Anthem had concluded.

Bilal Ahmad Shah said Muslims have always sung both the National Anthem and Vande Mataram and called claims that they oppose these songs misinformation and misleading propaganda.

Congress Spokesperson's Response

Congress MLA and AICC spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore accused the BJP-led Centre of diverting public attention from pressing issues such as inflation, unemployment and paper leaks by creating a controversy over Vande Mataram and the national anthem. He cited a 1934 Congress Working Committee resolution and suggestions associated with Rabindranath Tagore for the tradition of singing the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram.

Rathore alleged that the BJP had attempted to divide society on religious, caste and linguistic lines and referred to the Ram temple donation controversy in which an SIT gave a clean chit to trust office-bearers. He also criticised the Centre's ethanol policy, alleging it was contributing to rising sugar prices. Rathore dismissed allegations that Congress was responsible for the assembly not functioning and blamed BJP protests, appealing for the House to function peacefully for the remaining eight sitting days.

Third Day: Speaker's Ruling and Walkout

On Monday, the stalemate continued. LoP Jai Ram Thakur raised the issue at the start of the session, demanding the video clip of the National Anthem from the opening day. Speaker Kuldeep Pathania, giving his ruling, called the protest "unreasonable and uncalled for" and stated that the session will commence with the national anthem and conclude with the national song. He said the request for the video was being examined.

Pathania elaborated that the provision of the national anthem is in the Constitution and the national song was added in 1950. He noted that insult to the national anthem or song has been defined in the Amending Act 2026 with imprisonment and fine or both. He also referred to a July 9 circular from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs but said that because an amendment was made on July 10, a January notification by the Centre should not be binding on the Vidhan Sabha.

Following the Speaker's ruling, the BJP staged a walkout. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said Congress respects both the national anthem and Vande Mataram in the same spirit. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan accused the Opposition of not letting the House run and of deflecting attention from core issues like price rise, corruption and politics of religion.

Separate FIR Complaint Against Pawan Khera

In a related development, the BJP demanded registration of an FIR against Congress leader Pawan Khera in Shimla over alleged derogatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A BJP delegation comprising Chief Spokesperson and MLA Rakesh Jamwal, MLAs Satpal Singh Satti, D S Thakur and Dileep Thakur submitted a written complaint to the Shimla superintendent of police. Jamwal claimed Khera had publicly used words such as "dwarf", "fugitive" and "tadipaar", and made remarks about the "aukaat" of Shah. The BJP said it would provide electronic evidence and requested investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including preservation of original video and audio recordings.