On 25 March 2026, a local businessman named Syed Ayub, launched a promo on petrol for free (₹100) to earn some funds, in Hyderabad to promote one of the biggest cars in the country. But it quickly turned into a very public affair with people throwing some water on each other and chanting what they were being told on and off to them saying Bharat Mata Ki Jai, which caused much anger and opposition both at our venue with some news that came out on social media. The topic of patriotism, freedom of speech in India is one of its highest.
Ayub’s free petrol offer attracted a large number of people hungry for their thanks. As the distribution commenced, some people began to hold up slogans such as Bharat Mata Ki Jai as they gave out and even yelled the message back at Ayub when things did get off track and the crowd listened to that (Witnessed). This was startling for anyone of the local crowd who said opposing such slogans was disrespectful to the country. Video of these actions soon spread to the wider public and there had been instant heated debates.
The response, of course, was immediate and divided:
- The supporters claimed that chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” is a natural expression of national pride and should never be opposed.
- Critics of Ayub’s response suggested Ayub had an anti‑nationalistic mindset, and some voices on social media even called for strict action or deportation.
- Others, though, supported Ayub and say that people should have the freedom to choose what slogans they want to endorse, and forcing chants is not the right means of showing patriotism.
In India, there’s a great deal of sensitivity towards national slogans and this incident is just one example of that. To many, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ are not statements about simply an expression of contentment and patriotism but symbols of unity and respect for the nation. In this situation (public), the struggle shows how quickly public displays of patriotism become politicised–when all are videotaped and posted so openly online in the name of community promotion about India’s “Dare and Merge and unite”. With respect to patriotism: Is patriotism voluntary, right or is it enforced?
The Hyderabad petrol offer started as a fairly simple advert and became an arena for national debate. Syed Ayub’s argument for patriotic cheers (not always understood by government officials) is criticised while some insist freedom of speech should not be sidelined. What was a goodwill gesture turned out to be a stark reminder of how deeply deeply these people connect to our shared people’s identity.
