President Droupadi Murmu approved the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill 2026, mandating the full singing of Vande Mataram.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the law, questioning if genuine respect and patience can be legislated.
Tharoor highlighted that singing the complete Vande Mataram takes over three minutes, potentially requiring audiences to stand for up to 12 minutes per event.
President Droupadi Murmu recently approved the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill 2026 with the new legislation mandating the full singing of the National Song Vande Mataram at the start and end of every official function. This mandate operates alongside the existing requirement for the National Anthem.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the move on X on Tuesday. Tharoor questioned the practical feasibility of the directive asking if genuine respect could be enforced through statutory mandates.
Practicality of Mandates
Tharoor highlighted the specific time requirements which will be necessitated due to the new rule. Jana Gana Mana takes 52 seconds to sing. Conversely, singing the complete version of Vande Mataram requires three minutes and 10 seconds. Tamil Nadu has decided that both will be preceded by the State Song in Tamil for another two minutes.
"As one who greatly respects both, and can sing the first two stanzas of the former (but not the other four, which were never required till now) as well as the entire anthem, I would like to point to just one practical consideration our zealots appear to have overlooked: human nature." Tharoor said.
He expressed doubts about audience endurance during public events.
"Do we really expect audiences to stand still and respectfully for six minutes before and after every function, a total of 12 extra minutes? Can respect and patience be legislated?" Tharoor asked.
The Congress leader warned of unintended consequences arising due to the provisions of the bill.
"I fear that the intent of the Bill, to promote greater respect for the National Song, will not be achieved, but its opposite may well be..." Tharoor added.
New Penalties for Insults
Parliament cleared the amendment last month with the Lok Sabha passing the legislation amid a din and without debate.
The original Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act outlines strict punishments. Intentionally disrupting the National Anthem or preventing its singing attracts up to three years in prison, a fine or both. Repeat offenders face a minimum mandatory jail term of one year.
The 2026 amendment expands these identical criminal penalties to cover the National Song. The updated legislation grants Vande Mataram equal standing with Jana Gana Mana, turning any disrespect toward the National Song into a punishable offence.
