Himachal row: Guv Gupta urges respect for Vande Mataram, Parliament

Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta urged respect for national symbols amid a row over Vande Mataram. The state assembly's monsoon session began with BJP protests against the Congress govt, leading to clashes and the House being adjourned.

Governor Urges Respect for National Symbols

Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta on Sunday strongly advocated for the universal respect and compliance of national symbols and parliamentary resolutions, amid the ongoing political row in Himachal Pradesh over the mandatory recitation of Vande Mataram. Weighing in on the controversy surrounding the recent BJP protests in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Gupta emphasised that national symbols should remain above partisan politics. "What is passed in India's Parliament should be followed. This is necessary, because if we talk about Vande Mataram, thousands of people took inspiration from it to sacrifice their lives and worked for the country's freedom. So, it is important to respect it, and this should not become a topic of debate; that is better for our country," he said.

Monsoon Session Begins with Political Confrontation

Earlier on Friday, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly's monsoon session began with a political confrontation outside the House, as BJP legislators protested against the Congress government over alleged failure to fulfil its employment promises, while Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu hit back, accusing the Opposition of staging protests due to internal differences within the BJP. The BJP's protest was led by MLA Randhir Sharma, who accused the state government of failing to honour major electoral guarantees made to the youth during the 2022 Assembly elections.

The war of words, which started outside the Assembly, set the tone for a turbulent opening day of the monsoon session. The confrontation later moved inside the House, where ruling Congress and Opposition BJP members clashed over the National Anthem and Vande Mataram. The dispute eventually led to the Assembly being adjourned for the day.

The BJP accused the ruling side of disrespecting the National Song, while Sukhu accused BJP legislators of disrespecting the National Anthem. Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania subsequently adjourned the House amid the uproar, saying the established practice was to begin the session with the National Anthem and conclude it with the National Song.

The developments on the first day indicate that employment, unfulfilled election guarantees, the economy and a range of political and governance issues are likely to dominate the monsoon session, while the dispute over the National Anthem and Vande Mataram has emerged as an additional flashpoint between the ruling Congress and BJP. (ANI)

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