Palakkad Council Sees Walkout as BJP Sings Vande Mataram in Full
UDF councillors walked out of Palakkad municipality meet as BJP sang Vande Mataram fully; LDF stayed seated after first two stanzas.
A special council meeting of the Palakkad municipality on Monday (August 31, 2026) was disrupted when United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors walked out as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members began singing Vande Mataram in its entirety.
The UDF councillors said their front had decided against singing the national song in full. After signing the attendance register, they left the council hall rather than join the rendition. They objected to the BJP's insistence on singing all stanzas, noting that traditionally only the first two stanzas are recited at municipal council meetings.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) councillors also did not join the full rendition. They returned to their seats after the first two stanzas were sung, while BJP councillors continued with the complete version before proceedings began.
The BJP accused both UDF and LDF councillors of disrespecting the song and said it would pursue legal action against them. The council is expected to take up the differing positions on the rendition in the coming days.