Congress lambasts TMC MLA for talking on phone during national anthem

Lambasting Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Vaishali Dalmiya for talking on phone while the national anthem was being played, the Congress on Monday dubbed the act as 'shameful and unfortunate' and asked the Mamata Banerjee-led party to look into the matter.

Congress leader Abdul Mannan told ANI that Dalmiya should know how the predecessors devoted their lives for making India independent.

"I have seen in the TV channel that while the national anthem started, she was talking with some person from her mobile phone. This is shameful and anti-national activity. Being a people's representative, she should know how our predecessors had devoted their lives for free India. Being a legislator, she did it," he added.

Expressing surprise over the fact that no TMC member protested against the act, the Congress leader said the incident was "most unfortunate."

"I am astonished how the other people did not protest against it. Why did they keep silent? This is most unfortunate. Few days back, the Supreme Court has passed an order that we should respect our national flag and National Anthem. This time, a Trinamool legislator did it. The party leaders should think about it," he added.

The TMC leader, who was yesterday present at a sports event in Howrah, West Bengal, was busy attending phone calls while the national anthem was being played.

Dalmiya, who is the daughter of late Jagmohan Dalmiya, former president of the International Cricket Council and Board of Cricket Council of India, was attending Commissioner Cup, a Football tournament organised by the Belur Police Station.

This not the first incident when a politician came under the radar for talking over phone during the national anthem as earlier former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah faced a huge backlash for talking on phone while the national anthem was being played.