Confusion prevailed at the BJP-led Indore Municipal Corporation budget meeting when council members started si... Read More

INDORE: National Anthem or Vande Mataram ? Confusion prevailed at the BJP-led Indore Municipal Corporation budget meeting on Wednesday when council members started singing " Jana Gana Mana " when they were expected to sing "Vande Mataram". Worse still, the Anthem was stopped abruptly for them to sing "Vande".

It triggered a political controversy, with Congress corporators alleging that by stopping the National Anthem midway, BJP leaders had violated the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

It’s the practice at IMC that meetings of the mayoral council and general body begin with "Vande Mataram" and end with "Jana Gana Mana". However, on Wednesday, some mayoral council members stood up and started singing the National Anthem, while others sang the customary Vande Mataram.

Adding to the confusion, some members stopped singing and started pointing out the mistake. After some more confusion, everyone began singing Vande Mataram.

IMC Leader of Opposition Fozia Sheikh Alim said, "It was a clear dishonour of the National Anthem. It was very disappointing to see that public representatives are confused between the National Anthem and the National Song. An FIR should be registered against all of them."

Legal experts said that the mistake could attract legal action if it was deliberate. "If it was a mistake, then there should not be any action against the members. Or else it would attract legal action for dishonour of the National Anthem," said senior advocate Anand Mohan Mathur.

IMC chairman Ajay Singh Naruka said, "Those who sang the National Anthem seemed to be confused between the National Song and National Anthem."

Mayor Malini Gaud, however, blamed the “noisy” opposition for the confusion. “The opposition was creating a ruckus before the meeting began. This led to the confusion over the National Anthem and National Song,” said Gaud.

The Supreme Court has said there is no concept of a ‘National Song’ in India but the general perception is that Vande Mataram is accorded this status.



In Video: Confusion over National Anthem and Vande Mataram at Indore civic body meet