Patna: A major controversy has started in Indian politics after a new advisory was issued in the Rajya Sabha. The bulletin advised MPs to avoid raising slogans such as “Jai Hind” and “Vande Mataram” during their speeches, saying that these slogans do not match the decorum and tradition of the Upper House. Soon after the announcement, many Opposition leaders criticised the decision. Both Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said the move was unnecessary and could stop members from expressing patriotism freely.
Independent MP from Purnia and Congress leader Pappu Yadav strongly opposed the advisory and said the decision was against freedom of expression. He stated that everyone has a personal right to speak in the way they believe. According to him, whether a person says “Vande Mataram”, “Jai Hind”, “Waheguru”, “Sat Sri Akal”, or “Har Har Mahadev”, all of them express respect and devotion. He said that if the government tries to stop such expressions, then it becomes wrong and controlling. Yadav added that nobody has a problem following the Constitution, but stopping people from expressing their feelings is not right.
On the other hand, JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar urged everyone not to politicise the issue. He said that national symbols and patriotic expressions should never become political fights. According to him, every political party has already shown loyalty to the Constitution of India. Therefore, debates over slogans that have been openly allowed and respected for years should not be turned into reasons for conflict. Kumar claimed that keeping Parliament peaceful and purposeful should be more important than loud disagreements.
Pappu Yadav also raised another issue during this controversy. He spoke about the Standardised Integrated Register (SIR) process related to elections and voter identification. He said that many Booth Level Officers (BLOs) died in Uttar Pradesh because they were pressured during the SIR implementation. Yadav insisted that the Election Commission should give enough time and should not rush the process. He warned that if SIR is not handled in a scientific and transparent way, then many poor people in Bihar might lose their right to vote, which will harm democracy. He said that the voting system must be fair and must protect ordinary citizens.
