Upgraded 29 July 2026 at 17:00 IST
The expense modifies the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to penalize purposeful insults to Vande Mataram. BJP MP Dr. Radha Mohan Das Agrawal kept in mind that the tune has actually dealt with disrespect for over 123 years in spite of motivating numerous revolutionaries throughout India’s self-reliance battle.
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment)Bill, 2026, which looks for to extend the very same legal safeguards to the nationwide tune Vande Mataram as those presently taken pleasure in by the nationwide anthem Jana Gana Mana.
The legislation changes the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to make intentional insults to Vande Mataram punishable with jail time of as much as 3 years, a fine, or both.
Responding to the dispute on the Bill, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai explained the change as more than a legal step.
“It shows the cumulative dedication to the soul of India, our nationwide awareness, cultural heritage, and the perfects of the liberty battle,” he stated.
Rai remembered that the 1971 Act initially supplied defense to the National Flag, the Constitution, and the National Anthem. He stressed that Vande Mataram, made up in 1875 by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, holds deep historical significance. The Minister highlighted crucial minutes from the liberty battle, consisting of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s efforts to produce a total musical variation in 1928 and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s choice to have Pandit Omkarnath Thakur render the complete tune on All India Radio on the early morning of 15 August 1947. He likewise referenced Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s 1950 declaration in the Constituent Assembly according Vande Mataram the very same regard as the nationwide anthem.
The Minister asserted that opposition to Vande Mataram totaled up to a policy of appeasement that weakens nationwide pride.
Starting the conversation, BJP MP Dr. Radha Mohan Das Agrawal kept in mind that the tune had actually dealt with disrespect for over 123 years regardless of motivating numerous revolutionaries who compromised their lives for India’s self-reliance. He declared that an insult to the tune had actually taken place throughout a Congress session in 1923.
Golla Baburao of the YSRCP invited the Bill and advised all members to support and appreciate the nationwide tune. “Vande Mataram is not simply a tune, however a source of motivation that encouraged numerous liberty fighters,” he stated, crediting the Government for presenting the legislation.
A number of other members, consisting of Sulata Deo (BJD), Sanjay Singh (AAP), and Dr. M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), took part in the conversation.
The passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha marks a considerable action towards strengthening the statutory honour of India’s nationwide tune, which played an essential function in galvanising the self-reliance motion.
