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.
Event Context
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.
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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.
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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.
