Rajya Sabha passes bill granting statutory protection to national song Vande Mataram

The Story in Brief

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to extend legal protection to the national song Vande Mataram in the same manner as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. The amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, makes deliberate insults to Vande Mataram punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai described the change as reflecting the country’s national consciousness and cultural heritage and recalled that the 1971 Act originally protected the National Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem. The Minister and several MPs referred to the song’s history: it was composed in 1875 by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay; Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose worked on a musical version in 1928; Pandit Omkarnath Thakur rendered the full song on All India Radio on 15 August 1947, and Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1950 gave it the same respect as the national anthem.

The Indian Opinion

The debate included strong characterisations that merit cautious reading. The Minister’s assertion that opposition to Vande Mataram amounts to a “policy of appeasement” frames dissent in political terms and is a forceful claim that the article does not substantiate with evidence. Similarly, the BJP MP’s statement that the song faced “disrespect for over 123 years” and the allegation of an insult in 1923 are historical claims presented without corroboration here. The law criminalises “deliberate” insults, but the article does not explain how “deliberate” will be defined or applied; ordinary readers may reasonably want clarity on enforcement and possible effects on lawful expression where facts remain thin.

Original article: Rajya Sabha Passes Bill Granting Statutory Protection to National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ (Republic World)

This story was summarised and commented on by AI from the source linked above.