The record
Written from the 2 reports below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- Parliament has passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which makes insulting the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence.
- The bill was cleared by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha amid opposition sloganeering over the donation theft issue at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and the Rajya Sabha had passed it a day earlier.
- Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai said the measure puts Vande Mataram on par with the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.
- Opposition amendments, including one by DMK's A Raja, were rejected, and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid protests.
What to watch next
- Penalties and implementation details for the new offence
- Any legal challenges to the amended law
- How opposition parties respond after the bill's passage
What changed2
Every report on this story, newest first. Times are when each outlet published.
The Times of India[1]
Anti-paper leak Bill, Vande Mataram Bill clears Parliament - key highlighlightsThe Hindu BusinessLine[2]
Parliament passes Bill that makes insult to Vande Mataram criminal offence
Coverage2
2 reports
English national2
All filed from India
Named India · Ajit Doval · Amit Shah · Bharatiya Janata Party · Congress · Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · Hardeep Singh Puri · INDIA bloc · Jitendra Singh · Kanimozhi · Lok Sabha · Mallikarjun Kharge · Narendra Modi
The 2 reports are listed beside the record.
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