UP Speaker Mahana walks away as national anthem plays, draws Opposition ire

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana faced criticism from opposition parties after a purported video showed him leaving a dais while the national anthem was being played at an event in Unnao, with Mahana later saying the anthem was not played at the spot where he had received the guard of honour.

Mahana attended the provincial convention and seminar of the principals’ council at an SVM Inter College in Puran Nagar, Unnao, on Saturday.

A purported video of the incident shows Mahana standing for a few seconds as the anthem begins before turning around and stepping down from the saluting dais. He then walked towards his vehicle as the anthem continued to play. Some supporters approached him and were seen touching his feet.

Mahana, who represents the Maharajpur Assembly constituency in Kanpur, said the sequence had been misinterpreted.

“The place where I was given the guard of honour, the national anthem was not played there. Also, when a guard of honour is given to any visiting dignitary, national anthem is not played as per the law established,” he told PTI.

He said the anthem was played at the venue but he was not at the location where it was being played.

“Does everyone stop and stand in an attention pose, while passing through a programme venue, where the national anthem is played?” he said, questioning those criticising his conduct.

Opposition attacks Mahana

Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate criticised Mahana over the incident and demanded an apology.

“You informers of the British, spread lies about 'Vande Mataram' later. First, explain this: why did your stalwart leader and UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana walk away right in the middle of the national anthem? Couldn't he wait for just 52 seconds?” she said in a post on X.

She alleged that the incident amounted to an insult to ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

Unnao Congress Committee leader Dinesh Shukla also questioned whether Mahana leaving after accepting the guard of honour while the anthem was being played constituted disrespect to the national anthem.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria also targeted the BJP over the controversy.

“Now what will the BJP, which gives a certificate to everyone, say about him?” he said.

Incident amid Vande Mataram row

The controversy comes amid a wider political dispute over the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, with the BJP criticising the Congress for singing only two stanzas at its party programmes.

The BJP on Saturday passed a resolution on the national song after the Congress Working Committee reaffirmed its 1937 decision to sing only the first two stanzas at party programmes.

The BJP said it would not accept any compromise on the honour of ‘Vande Mataram’ for political convenience or appeasement.

Parliament has also passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending legal protection to ‘Vande Mataram’ similar to that provided to the national anthem. The law makes intentionally preventing the singing of the national song or causing a disturbance to an assembly engaged in singing it an offence.

The Unnao programme lasted around 40 minutes. During his address, Mahana urged principals and educationists to discharge their responsibilities honestly, saying educational institutions were the foundation of the country’s development and that a strong education system would contribute to a stronger nation.