Himachal Assembly Debate Over Anthem Protocol Escalates, BJP Responds

A dispute over the handling of the national anthem turned into a parliamentary showdown in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on August 21. The Congress alleged that BJP legislators behaved inappropriately during the anthem, while BJP leader Vipan Singh Parmar insisted the opposite.

Parmar stated that after the Speaker’s call for the anthem, all BJP MLAs rose, observed the anthem respectfully and then returned to their seats. The party immediately moved a point of order, demanding that the house observe the Home Ministry’s recently issued protocol, which calls for the complete six‑verse rendition of "Vande Mataram."

A video of the proceedings, Parmar said, confirms that BJP members maintained decorum throughout, and only after the anthem did they raise the chant "Vande Mataram" in a peaceful manner. When the motion was not accepted, the party’s members left the chamber after the session was adjourned until 11 a.m. the following day.

Parmar urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to enforce the centre’s guidelines and called on Congress to issue a public apology for the allegations. He emphasized that issues such as youth welfare, a condolence motion, and health‑related debates remained unresolved due to the postponement.