Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The proposed legislation seeks to give ‘Vande Mataram’, India’s National Song, the same legal protection as the National Anthem, National Flag, and the Constitution. If passed, insulting or obstructing the singing of Vande Mataram would become a punishable offence, carrying a prison term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
The move follows the Union Cabinet’s approval to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The Home Ministry has also directed states to play or sing Vande Mataram at official functions where the National Anthem is performed, with the anthem to be followed by the National Song. The ministry has instructed that all six stanzas of the 3-minute-10-second song be sung.
The proposal has drawn criticism from CPI(M) MP John Brittas, who argued that while Vande Mataram holds immense historical importance in India’s freedom struggle, giving it the same legal status as the National Anthem could disturb the constitutional balance between patriotism, pluralism, and freedom of conscience.
