Modi and Shah will spearhead debates in both Houses on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, with ten hours allocated in the Lok Sabha.
Congress will field Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as the government pushes a year-long commemoration aimed at youth and students.
Modi To Lead Parliamentary Debates On Vande Mataram And Election Reforms
Winter Session proceedings have already seen disruptions over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with election reform debates scheduled across both Houses this week.
Summary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha on Monday, while Home Minister Amit Shah is set to lead the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on December 9.
The Lok Sabha agenda includes a 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' on Monday, with ten hours allotted for deliberations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will follow the prime minister in the Lower House, while the Congress has decided to field Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the debate.
The government has been eager to hold a detailed discussion on Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterjee and long regarded as a source of inspiration during the freedom struggle.
Modi has criticised the Congress for allegedly removing key stanzas from the song in 1937 and “sowing the seeds of partition”.
On November 7, Modi launched a year-long commemoration marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, aimed particularly at young people and students to enhance awareness of its historical significance.
Shah is scheduled to initiate the Rajya Sabha debate on Tuesday, with Health Minister J. P. Nadda listed as the second speaker.
The Lok Sabha will take up the debate on election reforms on Tuesday and Wednesday, covering all aspects of the contentious issue, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Rajya Sabha will hold its debate on election reforms on Wednesday and Thursday.
The first two days of the Winter Session, which commenced on 1 December, were repeatedly disrupted by opposition protests over the SIR, leading to frequent adjournments.
The Monsoon Session was similarly affected, with the opposition’s demand for a debate on the SIR in Bihar resulting in a virtual washout.
(with PTI inputs)
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