3 min readBhopalApr 16, 2026 07:17 AM IST
The Madhya Pradesh Police registered an FIR against two Congress councillors who refused to sing Vande Mataram during the Indore Municipal Corporation’s Budget session earlier this month.
The incident took place on April 8, when the issue of singing Vande Mataram led to a confrontation inside the House. During proceedings, Congress councillor Fauzia Sheikh Aleem questioned whether any rule or law mandated the singing of the national song and subsequently walked out. Statements made by another councillor, Rubina Iqbal Khan, during the session further escalated tensions, prompting protests from BJP councillors.
According to police personnel, both councillors were summoned over two days for questioning, during which their statements were recorded.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Vinod Dixit said the complaint and the sequence of events were examined before registering a case under BNS section 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony). Additional DCP Amarendra Singh said the case was found to be prima facie cognisable after inquiry, following a complaint lodged by BJP councillors.
ACP Dixit told The Indian Express, “The questioning went on for four hours. We asked why they refused to sing Vande Mataram. They cited religious reasons for the same. We told them they were elected to a constitutional post and their religious compulsions should not have been part of the decision.”
In their statements to police, both councillors defended their positions on constitutional grounds. Khan cited religious considerations and said that individuals have freedom in such matters, referring to judicial interpretations that protect personal choice. She also issued an apology for remarks that had drawn criticism. Aleem stated that the Constitution guarantees both freedom of religion and freedom of expression, arguing that no individual can be compelled to sing a particular song, sources close to the investigation said.
Aleem’s representatives told The Indian Express, “The councillor respects the national song. Aleem was late to the proceedings, and pressure was mounted on her to sing the national song again. She objected to that demand. She respects the Constitution and believes in the justice system.” Khan has not commented on the allegations.
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Following the controversy, BJP leaders pounced on the issue to corner the Congress. Former MLA Akash Vijayvarghiya, the son of state Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvarghiya, alleged, “Those who don’t sing Vande Mataram are no less than terrorists. These people are traitors to the nation. This is a Hindu-majority country, a Hindu-majority state. Congress is taking this country in the wrong direction.”
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also commented on the issue, saying, “…This shows the character of the Congress leaders; they even refused to say Bharat Mata ki jai. Congress’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, should explain why there was a policy motivating leaders to do this.”
