Breaking: Vande Mataram row sparks uproar in Himachal Assembly; BJP MLA walks out
Shashi Bhushan Purohit
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), August 21, 2026: The first day of the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed a major uproar on Friday over the singing of Vande Mataram, with BJP and Congress MLAs engaging in heated exchanges and the BJP legislators staging a walkout.
The controversy erupted after BJP MLAs objected to Vande Mataram not being sung before the commencement of the Assembly proceedings. They questioned why the patriotic song was not sung on the opening day of the session and raised slogans in protest.
The protests soon led to a heated exchange between members of the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP, creating a tense atmosphere inside the House.
Amid the uproar, BJP MLAs walked out of the Assembly in protest. Some Congress MLAs also subsequently left the House, with tensions between the two sides remaining evident on the Assembly premises.
Vande Mataram row already simmering
The controversy comes amid a wider political dispute between the BJP and Congress over the singing of Vande Mataram at political events.
The Congress Working Committee has reiterated its decision to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party programmes, a position strongly opposed by the BJP.
The issue was also discussed at a BJP legislative party meeting held a day before the Himachal Assembly session began. BJP MLA Randhir Sharma said a resolution condemning the Congress’ decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram was passed at the meeting.
Against this backdrop, the uproar over Vande Mataram on the opening day of the Assembly session assumes political significance. The issue could further intensify the confrontation between the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP during the remaining proceedings of the monsoon session.