The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- Parliament has passed the National Honor Disgrace Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2026, which extends to the national song Vande Mataram the same legal protection currently given to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana under the 1971 law.
- The bill amends Section 3 of that law so that deliberately preventing or disturbing a gathering singing Vande Mataram becomes a criminal offence, punishable by up to three years in jail, a fine, or both, with repeat offenders facing a minimum of one year in prison.
- The government cited Rajendra Prasad's January 24, 1950 Constituent Assembly remarks that Vande Mataram should be honoured equally with the anthem, saying the amendment fills a gap in legal protection.
- DMK MPs opposed the bill, with Kanimozhi arguing it insults Tamil Nadu's practice of honouring Tamil Thai Vazhthu and A. Raja calling it a constitutional fraud, pointing to the dropped stanzas in the version accepted by the Constituent Assembly.
What to watch next
- How the government responds if any prosecution under the new law is challenged in court over the two omitted stanzas A. Raja flagged
- Whether further DMK-led opposition or legal action follows the bill's passage
- Enforcement of the new penalties against those who prevent or disrupt singing of Vande Mataram
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Named India · Tamil Nadu · A. Raja · Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · Government of India · Jana Gana Mana · Kanimozhi · Lok Sabha · Rajendra Prasad · Rajya Sabha · Vande Mataram
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