Opposition attacks Mahana
Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate criticised Mahana over the incident and demanded an apology.
“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 said in a post on X.
She alleged that the incident amounted to an insult to ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
Unnao Congress Committee leader Dinesh Shukla also questioned whether Mahana leaving after accepting the guard of honour while the anthem was being played constituted disrespect to the national anthem.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria also targeted the BJP over the controversy.
“Now what will the BJP, which gives a certificate to everyone, say about him?” he said.
Incident amid Vande Mataram row
The controversy comes amid a wider political dispute over the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, with the BJP criticising the Congress for singing only two stanzas at its party programmes.
The BJP on Saturday passed a resolution on the national song after the Congress Working Committee reaffirmed its 1937 decision to sing only the first two stanzas at party programmes.
The BJP said it would not accept any compromise on the honour of ‘Vande Mataram’ for political convenience or appeasement.
Parliament has also passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending legal protection to ‘Vande Mataram’ similar to that provided to the national anthem. The law makes intentionally preventing the singing of the national song or causing a disturbance to an assembly engaged in singing it an offence.
The Unnao programme lasted around 40 minutes. During his address, Mahana urged principals and educationists to discharge their responsibilities honestly, saying educational institutions were the foundation of the country’s development and that a strong education system would contribute to a stronger nation.
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