Indore: Confusion prevailed at the BJP- controlled Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Wednesday when the recital of the national anthem 'Jana gana mana' was abruptly stopped by its members for the recital of 'Vande Mataram'.
A video clip of the incident has gone viral on social media here, in which Mayor Malini Gaud, who is also a local BJP MLA, is also visible.
According to eyewitnesses, the elected representatives and others present at the civic body's budget session sang the national anthem at the outset of the session . However, after a few seconds some of the members abruptly stopped singing the national anthem and started off singing 'Vande mataram'.
Corporators belonging to the opposition parties sought action against members for "insulting" the national anthem.
When contacted, IMC chairman Ajay Singh Naruka said, "The mistake was possibly committed following a corporator's slip of the tongue. I don't feel it was due to anybody's ill intention. So, the incident should not be blown up unnecessarily."
Seeking to downplay the incident, he said that as per tradition, the IMC's budget session kicks off with the recital of national song and ends with the national anthem.
According to sources, deliberately disrupting the national anthem or stopping its recital midway invites three years of imprisonment.