The Congress party is strongly criticizing a recent directive from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that reminds Members of Parliament (MPs) to refrain from using slogans like "Vande Mataram" and "Jai Hind" within the House. The Secretariat's notice, issued on November 24, cites the need to maintain decorum and asserts that such slogans breach parliamentary etiquette.
Congress leaders are framing the directive as an affront to the spirit of the freedom movement, with some directly targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They argue that figures who played no role or even sided with the British during India's struggle for independence now object to the slogans that were central to that very struggle.
Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson for the Congress, voiced her shock and questioned the rationale behind the objection to these slogans. In a video message, she stated that the British once had a problem with these slogans and now the BJP seems to share that discomfort. Shrinate emphasized the historical significance of "Jai Hind," explaining its origins with revolutionary Chempakaraman Pillai and its later adoption by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Fauj. She also pointed out that "Vande Mataram" was repeatedly banned by the British between 1906 and 1910, leading to arrests for those who sang it. According to Shrinate revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose raised the slogan during their trials and at the time of hanging.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat, however, maintains that this is not a new instruction. Sources within the Secretariat indicate that similar circulars have been issued in the past, including during the UPA government in November 2005, stressing that raising slogans like "Jai Hind" and "Vande Mataram" is inconsistent with parliamentary customs and etiquette. The directive is outlined in the 'Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha' and was issued in anticipation of the upcoming parliamentary session set to begin on December 1. The notification states that the decorum and seriousness of House proceedings necessitate the absence of slogans such as "Thanks," "Thank You," "Jai Hind," "Vande Mataram," or any other slogans within the House.
The Congress party's criticism reflects a broader concern about the perceived erosion of democratic traditions and the suppression of dissenting voices. It also comes in the wake of similar controversies, such as the recent ban on protests and sloganeering in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which the Congress also condemned. That ban in Madhya Pradesh prohibited MLAs from holding any demonstrations or raising slogans within the Assembly complex. The Congress party had planned to raise several public-centric issues during the session, and strongly opposed the move, with the Leader of the Opposition calling it a direct attack on democracy.
