India, April 20 -- In April 2026, a major political controversy erupted in the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) when Congress councillors Fauzia Sheikh Alim and Rubina Iqbal refused to sing Vande Mataram during a budget session, citing Islamic prohibitions. This led to intense protests by BJP members, who argued that singing Vande Mataram is mandatory and accused the Congress party of placing religious ideology above the Constitution. The BJP in Indore has since turned this into a divisive and polarising issue, targeting both minorities and the Congress party.

"Vande Mataram" is a Sanskrit phrase meaning "I bow to thee, Mother" or "I praise thee, Mother." The song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s, personifies India as...