Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced 'The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026' in the Rajya Sabha.
The proposed legislation aims to criminalise any intentional obstruction or insult to the national song, Vande Mataram, with up to five years in prison.
The bill was introduced amid intense Opposition protests demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak row.
Government Introduces Bill Criminalising Insults To Vande Mataram
The draft legislation penalises anyone who interrupts or dishonours the national song, 'Vande Mataram'
Summary
A new draft law entered parliament on Friday as Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai tabled 'The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026' in the Rajya Sabha. The draft legislation penalises anyone who interrupts or dishonours the national song, 'Vande Mataram'.
Opposition members protested loudly during the introduction demanding that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down following the NEET paper leak controversy.
Proposed Legal Protections
The bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. This existing law criminalises disrespect to the national flag, the Constitution and the national anthem.
The amendment aims to grant the national song the same statutory protection as the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'. Violators face a maximum punishment of five years in prison, a fine or both for intentionally preventing the singing of the song or disrupting an assembly engaged in singing it.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the proposed legislation stated that there is presently a lack of specific legal measures to stop insults directed at the singing of Vande Mataram.
Debate And Historical Context
Several members, including those belonging to Left parties, opposed the bill. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh permitted CPI(M) MP John Brittas and CPI MP Sandosh Kumar P to voice their opposition.
Brittas said, "The Constituent Assembly, after nearly three years of exhaustive deliberation, consciously refrained from placing the National Song and the National Anthem on the same constitutional footing. Had the framers of both intended to enjoy identical legal consequences, they would have expressed and so provided." This was reported by the Indian Express.
Though on January 24, 1950, Constituent Assembly President Rajendra Prasad said that Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, played a historic role in India's freedom struggle and should have the same status as the national anthem, PTI reported.
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