Last Updated on August 23, 2026 9:54 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Unnao Congress has sought an FIR against UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, alleging he walked away during the national anthem while a ceremonial guard of honour was being presented.
AMN / UNNAO (Uttar Pradesh) / NEW DELHI
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker and BJP leader Satish Mahana has come under sharp criticism from opposition parties after a purported video showed him walking away from a dais while the national anthem was being played at an event in Unnao.
The incident, which took place on Saturday during a provincial convention and seminar of the Uttar Pradesh Principals’ Council at SVM Inter College in Puran Nagar, has triggered a political controversy, with Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders questioning Mahana’s conduct.
The video shows Mahana standing on a saluting dais for a few seconds after the national anthem began, before turning around and stepping down. He is then seen walking towards his vehicle while “Jana Gana Mana” continued to play. Some people accompanying him also followed as he left the venue.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of an ongoing political dispute over the national song “Vande Mataram”, with the BJP recently attacking the Congress over its decision to sing only two stanzas of the song at party programmes. The BJP had described the move as disrespectful to the national song.
Mahana Offers Clarification
Mahana has rejected the allegations of disrespect and said the video was being interpreted incorrectly. According to him, the location where he received the police guard of honour was different from the place where the national anthem was being played.
Speaking to PTI, Mahana said that the national anthem was not played at the spot where he was receiving the guard of honour. He also maintained that, under the established protocol, the national anthem is not played at the location where a visiting dignitary is being given a guard of honour.
He questioned whether a person passing through a programme venue is expected to stop and stand at attention merely because the anthem is being played elsewhere inside the premises.
The event itself lasted around 40 minutes, according to reports. Mahana attended the educational gathering as the chief guest and was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour before the controversy unfolded.
Congress, SP Attack BJP Leader
The opposition, however, has rejected the explanation and stepped up its criticism of the Assembly Speaker.
Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate questioned why Mahana could not wait for the national anthem to conclude before leaving the venue. She demanded an apology, arguing that the national anthem should be treated with due respect.
Unnao Congress leader Dinesh Shukla also questioned whether it was appropriate for Mahana to accept the guard of honour and subsequently leave while the anthem was being played.
Unnao Congress has sought an FIR against UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, alleging he walked away during the national anthem while a ceremonial guard of honour was being presented.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria also targeted the BJP, asking what the ruling party would say about the incident. Opposition leaders have sought to turn the episode into a wider political issue, particularly in view of the BJP’s recent attacks on the Congress over “Vande Mataram”.
The episode has also generated debate on social media, with supporters and critics focusing on the apparent sequence shown in the video. However, the video by itself does not establish the precise location from which the anthem was being played or the protocol arrangements at the venue.
Political Row Intensifies
The controversy has placed Mahana, a senior BJP politician and the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, under increased scrutiny. He represents the Maharajpur Assembly constituency in Kanpur and has served as Assembly Speaker since 2022.
For the opposition, the incident provides an opportunity to question the BJP’s position on respect for national symbols. For Mahana and his supporters, the issue is being presented as a case of a video clip being misinterpreted and the sequence of events being taken out of context.
With both sides maintaining sharply different versions of what happened, the Unnao incident is likely to remain a political talking point in Uttar Pradesh, particularly as the debate over “Vande Mataram”, the national anthem and the conduct of public representatives continues to intensify.