Hyderabad witnessed an unusual and heated moment during the GHMC General Body Meeting today, after BJP MP Raghunandan Rao demanded that the session begin with the playing of Vande Mataram. The move immediately triggered strong objections from AIMIM corporators, leading to tense exchanges between members of both parties.
As soon as Vande Mataram started playing, AIMIM corporators protested, stating that it was inappropriate to play such songs during an official government meeting. Their objection led to a verbal confrontation, with members from both sides engaging in arguments inside the hall.
AIMIM corporators remained seated while the song was being played, prompting severe criticism from BJP members, who accused them of disrespecting national sentiments. The disagreement quickly escalated, causing a chaotic atmosphere in the meeting.
Sensing rising tension, the Mayor intervened and attempted to bring balance to the situation. To pacify both sides, she directed officials to also play the “Jai Jai Telangana” song along with Vande Mataram. Both songs were eventually played, allowing the meeting to proceed.
According to officials, this is one of the rare occasions where such an incident occurred during a GHMC meeting, and reportedly the first time that both songs were played together to calm a political dispute.
BJP’s Raghunandan Rao stated that every citizen is responsible for respecting national sentiments and that Vande Mataram deserves due honor. On the other hand, AIMIM corporators argued that political symbolism should not overshadow public issues that the meeting was meant to address.
The session continued afterward, but the confrontation has sparked widespread debate about the appropriateness of playing political or patriotic songs during civic meetings.