BJP legislators sing Vande Mataram at Shimla's Ridge in protest against Congress
Synopsis
BJP legislators took their Vande Mataram demand from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly floor to Shimla's Ridge, singing the national song in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue for over an hour. The protest, led by LoP Jai Ram Thakur, frames a legislative procedural dispute as a question of constitutional values — and keeps the BJP on the offensive against the Congress state government.
Key Takeaways
BJP legislators and party workers staged a one-and-a-half-hour protest at the Ridge, Shimla on 23 August .
The protest was led by Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur .
The group sang Vande Mataram in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Ridge.
The BJP had demanded the complete Vande Mataram be sung in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly ; the song was removed from the House's proposed business before proceedings began.
Thakur cited the Congress Working Committee's 1937 decision on selected stanzas and a 6 April 1938 Nehru-Jinnah letter to question the Congress's position on the song.
BJP denied allegations of disrespecting the national anthem, stating members of both sides stood in respect when it was played.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, led by Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, staged a protest against the ruling Congress at the historic Ridge in Shimla on Sunday, 23 August, singing Vande Mataram collectively in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue. The demonstration, which lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours, drew BJP legislators and hundreds of party workers whose voices echoed patriotic songs and slogans across the Ridge.
What Triggered the Protest
The BJP Legislature Party had demanded that the complete Vande Mataram be sung in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with full honour. According to Thakur, the song had initially been included in the proposed business of the House but was removed before proceedings began. When the BJP raised the matter inside the Assembly, the state government's response, he alleged, was to create confrontation rather than accommodate the demand.
What Jai Ram Thakur Said
Addressing the media at the protest, former Chief Minister Thakur described Vande Mataram as an enduring symbol of India's freedom struggle, one that inspired revolutionaries and those who embraced martyrdom for the country's independence. 'India is governed by its Constitution and the democratic institutions established under it, not by the directives of any political party,' he said.
Thakur also invoked historical context, pointing to the Congress Working Committee's 1937 decision to adopt only selected stanzas of the song. He further referred to a letter dated 6 April 1938, purportedly from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which he claimed referenced objections to certain portions of Vande Mataram. He argued that in independent India, the question of respect for the national song cannot be determined by any single political party.
BJP Rejects Allegations of Disrespect
Thakur firmly rejected Congress leaders' allegations that BJP legislators had disrespected the national anthem inside the Assembly. He clarified that members of both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP stood in full respect when the national anthem was played, and that the demand for Vande Mataram was raised only after the anthem concluded.
Broader Context
The dispute over Vande Mataram in legislative proceedings is not new to Indian politics. The song, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has periodically become a flashpoint between the BJP and the Congress over questions of national identity and religious sentiment. In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress came to power in December 2022, defeating the BJP government led by Thakur himself — lending the current confrontation an additional layer of political rivalry. The BJP's public protest on the Ridge signals an intent to keep the issue alive ahead of future electoral cycles in the state.
Point of View
A framing that has historically resonated with BJP's voter base. Thakur's invocation of a 1937 Congress resolution and a 1938 Nehru-Jinnah letter is deliberate — it ties the current state government to a decades-old controversy, bypassing the need to engage with present-day governance failures or successes. What mainstream coverage may miss is that this is also an internal signal: with Thakur having lost the 2022 election, a high-visibility street protest keeps him relevant as the de facto face of the Himachal BJP. The Congress, by not accommodating a relatively low-stakes demand, has handed the Opposition a ready-made national-sentiment narrative.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did BJP legislators protest at Shimla's Ridge on 23 August?
BJP legislators protested because the Himachal Pradesh Congress government removed Vande Mataram from the proposed business of the Legislative Assembly before proceedings began. The BJP had demanded that the complete song be sung in the House with full honour, and when that demand was not met, the party took the protest to the Ridge in Shimla.
Who led the BJP protest at the Ridge in Shimla?
The protest was led by Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Hundreds of BJP legislators and party workers participated in the event, which lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours.
What is the BJP's demand regarding Vande Mataram in the Himachal Assembly?
The BJP Legislature Party demanded that the complete Vande Mataram be sung in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with due honour and respect. The party says the song was initially listed in the House's agenda but was dropped before the session began.
What historical references did Jai Ram Thakur make about Congress and Vande Mataram?
Thakur cited the Congress Working Committee's 1937 decision to adopt only selected stanzas of Vande Mataram. He also referred to a letter dated 6 April 1938 from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which he claimed referenced objections to certain portions of the song.
Did BJP legislators disrespect the national anthem in the Assembly?
The BJP has denied this allegation. Jai Ram Thakur stated that members of both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP stood in full respect when the national anthem was played, and that the demand for Vande Mataram was raised only after the anthem had concluded.
