2 min readBhopalUpdated: Apr 8, 2026 10:46 PM IST
Heated scenes were witnessed during the budget proceedings in the Indore Municipal Corporation Wednesday, after a Congress councillor refused to sing Vande Mataram, leading to her expulsion from the House.
The incident occurred when Vande Mataram was played during the session. Congress councillor Fauzia Sheikh Aleem refused to participate, citing religious grounds. Her refusal triggered immediate protests from BJP councillors, who accused her of disrespecting the national song and began sloganeering inside the House.
Amid the uproar, Fauzia Sheikh Aleem said: “The Constitution nowhere mandates that everyone must sing Vande Mataram. It is voluntary, and no one can be compelled to sing it” when asked later why she refused to sing the song, Aleem said, “humare islam mein nai bol sakte (in our Islam you can’t say this)”.
The protests intensified after Aleem was heard shouting “tumhare baap mein dum hai toh kehalwalar dikao (if you have guts make me sing it)”. She also asked the chair to clarify the rules governing the singing of Vande Mataram and sought a reference to constitutional provisions. Officials present in the House were unable to immediately produce any rule making the song mandatory.
With BJP councillors continuing to demand action, chairman Munna Lal Yadav ordered her suspension for the remainder of the day and directed her to leave the House, holding her responsible for “disrespecting Vande Mataram.”
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav supported the action, stating, “Vande Mataram is our highest song. Such conduct will not be tolerated in the House”.
Leader of Opposition Chintu Chouksey said, “Vande Mataram is supreme for us, for the entire country, and for the Congress party as well. What she did may be her personal view.” He added that the matter had been reported to state Congress chief Jitu Patwari.
