Controversy Over Speaker's Departure
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana has come under fire after a purported video showed him leaving the dais while the national anthem was being played at a principals' council event in Unnao on Saturday. The footage, widely circulated, depicts Mahana staying still for a few seconds before turning and stepping down from the saluting dais as the anthem played.
Opposition leaders swiftly condemned the act. Congress's social media department head Supriya Shrinate posted on X in Hindi, accusing Mahana of disrespect and demanding an apology. She reportedly said, "You informers of the British, spread lies about 'Vande Mataram' later. First, explain this: why did your stalwart leader and UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana walk away right in the middle of the national anthem? Couldn't he wait for just 52 seconds?" She added that the "insult" to 'Jana Gana Mana' will not be tolerated.
Unnao Congress Committee leader Dinesh Shukla questioned whether accepting the guard of honour as per protocol but leaving while the anthem played amounted to an insult to the national anthem. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria also criticized the BJP, stating, "Now what will the BJP, which gives a certificate to everyone, say about him?"
Speaker's Defense
In response, Mahana told PTI that the national anthem was not played at the location where he received the guard of honour. He explained, "The place where I was given the guard of honour, the national anthem was not played there. Also, when a guard of honour is given to any visiting dignitary, national anthem is not played as per the law established." He acknowledged that the anthem was played at the venue but asserted he was not present at that spot.
Mahana, who represents the Maharajpur assembly constituency in Kanpur, attended the council's provincial convention and seminar at SVM Inter college in Puran Nagar, Unnao. According to reports, police gave him a guard of honour, and the anthem began shortly after it ended. As the anthem played, some supporters approached him and touched his feet, while he proceeded towards his vehicle and left.
Questioning his critics, Mahana asked, "Does everyone stop and stand in an attention pose when passing through a venue where the national anthem is played?" He also urged principals during his address to discharge their responsibilities honestly, stating that educational institutions are the foundation of the country's development. The event lasted around 40 minutes.
Political Context
The incident unfolds against a backdrop of political tension over the national song. The BJP has been targeting the Congress for its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram', terming it an insult. The Congress Working Committee recently reaffirmed its 1937 decision to sing only the first two stanzas. Additionally, Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending legal protection to 'Vande Mataram' and making it an offence to intentionally prevent its singing or cause disturbance during such an assembly.