INDORE: A week after two Congress corporators refused to sing Vande Mataram during Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) budget session, police on Wednesday filed an FIR against them for promoting enmity, hatred or disharmony between different groups.“Based on complaints of BJP corporators and video evidence, the police have booked corporators Rubina Iqbal Khan and Fouzia Sheikh Aleem under Sections 196(1) and 3(5) of BNS (promoting enmity and disharmony) after a detailed investigation,” DCP Rajesh Vyas told TOI. “Both corporators underwent approximately four-and-a-half hours of questioning at the police station,” he said.The controversy had erupted during the budget session on April 8 when Fouzia challenged the chair to produce the specific rule or act that mandated singing of Vande Mataram before walking out of the House.Rubina sparked a heated confrontation when she stated that her faith did not permit the recital, though she later apologized for her specific “provocative” choice of words. Fouzia maintained that the Constitution granted her religious and expressive freedom. She further alleged that BJP members intentionally raised the Vande Mataram issue to divert attention from civic problems like contaminated water supply. IMC leader of opposition Chintu Choukse had later clarified that Congress remained committed to honouring national symbols and that singing the song was a matter of ‘personal choice.’
