The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, 26 August descended into fresh uproar as treasury and Opposition benches clashed sharply over the alleged disrespect shown to the national anthem, with Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur threatening both a privilege motion and High Court action against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu. The confrontation, which broke out soon after Question Hour on a point of order, is the second such flare-up in the Assembly over this issue.

Key Developments on the Floor

Thakur, a former Chief Minister, declared that he had reviewed the disputed video of the national anthem 10 times and found no evidence of any Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA disrespecting it. He argued that by levelling the allegation, Chief Minister Sukhu had insulted 7.5 million people of the state. “If there had been any genuine mistake, we would have apologised,” Thakur said, adding that the BJP would file a lawsuit against the Chief Minister in the High Court.

Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania repeatedly urged members on both sides to remain calm and stay in their seats. “You started the discussion; now the Chief Minister also has every right to speak. You have demonstrated your conduct. Therefore, members on both sides have equal rights to speak,” the Speaker said, intervening to check the Opposition.

What the Government Said

Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi argued that while voices were audible in the video, faces were not visible. He also asserted that the House “is larger than the High Court,” a remark that drew fresh protests from the Opposition benches. Negi noted that the national anthem is sung at the beginning of a legislative session and the national song at its conclusion.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani launched a pointed attack on the BJP, stating that both the national anthem and the national song ‘are symbols of national pride and honour, and those who have created political controversy by comparing them should apologise.’

Chief Minister Sukhu’s Counter

Amid the uproar, CM Sukhu said the Opposition was free to approach any court but warned, “we will expose their truth everywhere.” He called on BJP MLAs to apologise, saying that by raising questions about the national anthem on 21 August, “the national anthem itself was actually insulted.” He also accused the BJP of consistently working to divide the country on lines of religion and caste.

Background and What It Means

This is at least the second session in which the national anthem controversy has disrupted Assembly proceedings in Shimla. The dispute centres on a video from a recent legislative session that the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) government claims shows BJP members behaving disrespectfully during the anthem. The BJP has categorically denied this and demanded an apology from the Chief Minister instead. Notably, Thakur also flagged that ministerial answers during Question Hour were becoming excessively lengthy, amounting to public-meeting speeches rather than parliamentary responses. With both sides digging in, the confrontation is likely to spill into the next sitting of the House.