New Delhi (HRNW)- The Indian Parliament has passed an amendment bill granting the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ the same legal protection as the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, the national flag, and the Constitution.
According to the International News Agency, the bill was introduced in Parliament by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and was approved by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government with a majority vote.
After being passed by both houses of Parliament, the bill is now awaiting the assent of the President of India. Once signed by the President, it will become law and come into force across the country.
According to the government, the purpose of the legislation is to protect the dignity of the national song and promote national unity, not to target any religion, individual, or ideology.
The Modi government stated that ‘Vande Mataram’ played a significant role during India’s independence movement and therefore deserves legal protection equal to that of the national anthem.
However, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President and Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill, arguing that it conflicts with the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom because certain portions of ‘Vande Mataram’ refer to Hindu deities.
Owaisi alleged that the legislation seeks to impose a particular religious concept on minorities and described it as another step toward making India a Hindu Rashtra.
The Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, and several other opposition parties also opposed the bill, saying it contradicts India’s secular constitutional framework and the principles of religious freedom.
Opposition leaders argued that the Constituent Assembly had recognized only the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ for official status and that additional legal restrictions are unnecessary.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board also expressed concern, stating that imposing a particular religious or ideological concept on all citizens through legislation is inconsistent with the spirit of the Indian Constitution and called on the government to review the law.
The amendment revises the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Previously, the law applied only to insults directed at the national anthem, national flag, and Constitution or obstruction of the national anthem. Under the amendment, its scope has been expanded to include ‘Vande Mataram’. Anyone found deliberately insulting the national song or obstructing its performance could face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
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