Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday responded with humour and quick presence of mind when members of the BJP-led NDA interrupted his speech during the Lok Sabha discussion on the national song, Vande Mataram.
As BJP MPs attempted to interject, Yadav held the hand of SP MP Awadhesh Prasad, seated beside him and made him stand, remarked, “Inko dekh leejiye. Baith jaaiye.” The gesture was widely noted, as Prasad is the MP who defeated the BJP in Faizabad, the constituency that includes Ayodhya, central to the BJP’s Hindutva narrative.
Communal Politics Don’t Last
“Our victory showed that communal politics will not work. People of UP ended communal politics where they [BJP] started it,” Yadav said.
Faizabad district has been renamed Ayodhya by the UP government, though the Lok Sabha seat retains the old name. The exchange came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ram Mandir for a flag-hoisting ceremony. The temple stands on the site where the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, following the Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict on the disputed land.
INDIA Bloc Sweeps Majority of UP’s 80 Seats
In the 2024 general elections, the INDIA bloc primarily the SP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh won the majority of the state’s 80 seats. This is major factor in the BJP falling short of a solo majority.
Since then, Yadav has placed special emphasis on Awadhesh Prasad, a Dalit Pasi community leader who occupies a front-row seat next to him in the Lok Sabha. His prominence is part of the SP’s PDA (Picchde, Dalit, Alpasankhyak) strategy, seen as a challenge to the BJP’s Hindutva messaging.
Vande Mataram Awoke Millions
During the debate, Yadav began by remembering Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, calling Vande Mataram a song that “awakened millions.” He accused the BJP of attempting to “own everything” and highlighted Rabindranath Tagore’s role in popularising the song during the freedom movement.
He also questioned the BJP’s ideological journey, recalling that the party’s 1980 formation outlined a socialist, secular path. “Tell me today, how secular are you?” he asked.
Yadav said Vande Mataram is “not merely meant to be sung, but to be lived,” challenging the BJP to reflect on how much they have embodied the song’s spirit. He further alleged that some who now speak loudly about nationalism had acted as informants for the British during the freedom struggle.
“Those who didn’t participate in the freedom movement, what would they know about celebrating Vande Mataram?” he remarked.
