The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill criminalising insults to the national song, Vande Mataram.

The 2026 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill was passed in the Upper House by voice vote as the Opposition protested and shouted slogans demanding a response from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action against protesters seeking educational reforms last week.

The bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, seeks to accord Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. It states that intentionally preventing the singing of the national song, or causing disturbance to an assembly singing it can be punished with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine or both.

At present, the 1971 Act provides that insulting the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, the national flag or the Constitution is punishable with up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both.

During a discussion on the amendment on Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai accused the Congress of insulting Vande Mataram by resorting to appeasement politics, PTI reported.

Rai said that “Vande Mataram” were the last words uttered by several freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the independence movement.

“One cannot understand the Congress’ opposition to Vande Mataram,” PTI quoted the minister as saying. “The country’s youth are watching and the people of the country will teach them a lesson.”

The Union government is commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram.

A Press Information Bureau note issued on November 6 to mark the 150 years stated that the Constituent Assembly had adopted Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and Vande Mataram as the national song.

The note quoted Rajendra Prasad, the first president, as having told the Assembly in January 1950 that Vande Mataram, because of its role in the freedom movement, “shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it”.

On January 28, the Union home ministry directed that all six stanzas of the Vande Mataram be sung first when it is played together with the Jana Gana Mana.

Only the first two stanzas of the national song had been played at official functions earlier. The remaining stanzas, which invoke Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, had been omitted.

Edited by Sara Varghese.

Also read: Vande Mataram debate: The novel in which the poem appears is a cry for freedom – but from whom?

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