Vande Mataram Row in Gujarat Assembly: Congress MLA Imran Khedawala Defends Sitting Mid-Song

A major political controversy broke out on the opening day of the Gujarat Assembly's Monsoon Session. Congress MLA Imran Khedawala stood up when the national song Vande Mataram began, but sat down before it finished. The ruling BJP accused him of insulting the national song and demanded a public apology. Khedawala defended his action as a personal choice, stating he stood for the original stanzas adopted in 1937 and sat down only during the newly added lines. This follows another recent row involving video footage of Sonia Gandhi during an Independence Day ceremony, sparking wider political debate over the song.