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3 years jail, fine or both: Bill to make insult to Vande Mataram a criminal offence passed in Rajya Sabha | What we know
If passed in the Lok Sabha, the bill will then be sent to the President for assent before being implemented as a law.
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as the opposition staged a walkout. The bill, which moves to make insult or obstruction to the national song a criminal offence, will now be sent to the Lok Sabha for consideration.
If passed in the Lok Sabha, the bill will then be sent to the President for assent before being implemented as a law.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, commonly known as the 'Vande Mataram' bill, will extend statutory protection to the national song. Earlier, the bill applied only to the tricolour, the constitution, and the National Anthem.
Vande Mataram Bill | All you need to know
- The bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on July 24 by minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai.
- Before the monsoon session of 2026, the government also held a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram during the parliament's winter session in 2025.
- As per the government, the legislation is required to safeguard the dignity of the national song, which played a key role in the Indian freedom movement.
- Based on the bill’s provisions, obstructing or insulting the rendition of Vande Mataram will result in a prison term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
- The bill also calls for all six stanzas of the national song to be sung. This also comes after the home ministry mandated that states play or sing the national song at official events, especially where the national anthem is played. "When the national song and the national anthem are sung or played, the national song will be sung or played first," the order read, adding that it must be sung while in standing in attention.
Also Read | 6 stanzas of Vande Mataram a must before national anthem | What are the new rules for the national song?
Why is the opposition against the amendment?
Following the home ministry's directive in 2025 regarding Vande Mataram, many opposition leaders and states have criticised the bill. The mandatory playing of Vande Mataram in state assemblies for official events also sparked a row, as many states claimed that the mandatory order threatens regional pride, state autonomy, and secular principles.
Also Read | Row over Tamil Nadu state song being played after national anthem, Vande Mataram at ministers' oath event
Several opposition leaders continued their critique of the bill during the monsoon session of Parliament, stating that the amendment to include the National Song violated the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
Ahead of the bill's introduction in the upper house, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas called for reconsideration, citing that the amendment raises issues relating to Articles 19, 21 and 25 of the Constitution, which protect freedom of speech and expression, personal liberty and freedom of conscience.
