New Delhi: Political leaders across party lines expressed differing views on the proposed Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which is set to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Reacting to the proposed legislation, Uttar Pradesh Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey said ‘Vande Mataram’ enjoys an important place in India’s constitutional and historical legacy, but cautioned against equating it with the National Anthem.
“‘Vande Mataram’ was accepted by the Constituent Assembly as the National Song. But now they are trying to make it the National Anthem. ‘Vande Mataram’ is not something that should be opposed or rejected. ‘Vande Mataram’ is a good thing…”
Janata Dal (United) MLA Shyam Rajak backed the proposed move, describing both the National Song and the National Anthem as symbols of India’s freedom struggle and national identity.
“The national song and the national anthem are our heritage. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Rabindranath Tagore composed them. During India’s freedom struggle, people raised slogans of ‘Vande Mataram’ and voiced their opposition to the British. They are a matter of respect and sacred to us. If anyone obstructs or disrespects this sanctity, it is an insult to the nation…”
Meanwhile, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) chief and MLC M. Kodandaram urged the government to defer the proposal and consult scholars before moving ahead with the legislation.
“The controversies about Vande Mataram are not a new thing at all. Right from the beginning, these issues came up for discussion. So, the Congress party, at that point in time, I think it was in 1940, ’30s, ’40s, I don’t exactly remember the date. So, they constituted a committee in which Rabindranath Tagore was a member… The committee headed by Tagore has prepared the present shorter version of Vande Mataram. And that shorter version is easy to sing and easy to remember. There are no objections at all to this shorter version.”
“Now, keeping that in mind, I think the decision to introduce the longer version and make it compulsory, I think is a little hasty decision. And this decision, in my opinion, should be postponed. Learned people should be consulted before the government comes to a conclusion,” he added.
The differing reactions come as Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, extending to ‘Vande Mataram’ the same statutory and legal protection currently available to the National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
If passed, the amendment will make intentionally insulting, preventing or disrupting the singing of the National Song a criminal offence. Those found guilty could face imprisonment of up to three years, placing ‘Vande Mataram’ under the same legal framework that protects the National Anthem, the National Flag and the Constitution.
(IANS)
