The police have launched a probe after the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at the Kozhikode Corporation on Saturday (August 15, 2026), during which different groups of councillors sang the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and the national song, Vande Mataram, simultaneously.
Kozhikode Town police said they had received three complaints. Left Democratic Front (LDF) council party leader K. Rajeev, Leader of the Opposition in the council S.V. Mohammed Shameel Thangal of the UDF, and BJP councillor Navya Haridas filed complaints before District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) A.P. Shoukathali. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kozhikode Town Sub-Division) T.K. Asharaf has been entrusted with the investigation of the complaints.
The LDF and UDF complaints alleged that BJP councillors had insulted the national anthem by singing the national song while it was being sung. Meanwhile, the BJP complaint alleged that the national anthem was sung improperly while the national song was being sung, and that Mayor O. Sadasivan and Deputy Mayor S. Jayasree and others later walked away.
Town police on Sunday (August 16, 2026) recorded the statements of BJP councillor Navya Haridas. “We are yet to record the statements of others as some are out of town. No FIR has been registered yet and a decision on it will be taken considering legal and various other aspects,” said an official.
The Independence Day ceremony began around 9.30 a.m. outside the Corporation office. Mayor O. Sadasivan announced the national anthem after hoisting the flag and delivering his Independence Day address.
As the Mayor and councillors from the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF began singing Jana Gana Mana, BJP councillors started singing the full version of Vande Mataram. Both groups persisted despite the resulting confusion.
The Mayor and other councillors completed the national anthem and departed, while the BJP councillors continued singing Vande Mataram.
Later, a war of words broke out between the BJP and the ruling front. The BJP maintained that it had notified the Mayor in advance that its councillors would sing Vande Mataram and alleged that singing both songs simultaneously disrespected both. LDF councillors criticised the BJP councillors for singing the national song while the national anthem was being sung.
Published – August 16, 2026 08:51 pm IST
