AIMIM Walkout During Vande Mataram in Telangana Assembly

Hyderabad, India – Members of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) walked out of the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Monday during the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram, drawing sharp criticism from Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

The incident occurred at the start of the Budget Session, following Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s address to the joint session of the legislature. Proceedings began with the state song Jaya Jaya He Telangana, followed by Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. AIMIM legislators stood for the state song and the national anthem but exited the chamber as Vande Mataram was played a second time after the governor’s speech. They returned shortly after the song concluded. The walkout briefly disrupted the session, though proceedings continued without further incident.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, condemned the action in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Shameful that MIM MLAs chose to walk out of the Telangana Assembly while Vande Mataram was being sung. This isn’t just a protest; it is a direct insult to the national song and the spirit of our...