Guwahati: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to make the insult or disrespect of the national song, Vande Mataram, a punishable offence. The legislation was cleared after an Opposition walkout, ending more than a week of legislative disruptions in the Upper House.
The bill was passed by a voice vote after members of the Opposition, led by the Congress, staged a walkout while continuing their protest over the alleged police action against students demonstrating against the NEET paper leak in Delhi.
For over a week, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha had been repeatedly disrupted as Opposition members demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on the police action against the student protesters.
When the House reassembled at 2 pm after two earlier adjournments, Deputy Chairman Harivansh urged members to maintain order and allow a discussion on the legislation.
“I request all members to maintain discipline and decorum in the House and respect each other’s right to speak when recognised by the Chair,” he said before initiating the debate.
The Opposition continued raising slogans during the discussion before walking out while Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale was addressing the House.
Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai described the legislation as a measure to protect a symbol of India’s freedom movement and cultural heritage.
“Vande Mataram is not merely a national song. It reflects the soul of India, its national consciousness and the spirit of the freedom struggle,” Rai said.
He accused the Congress of opposing the bill because of what he termed appeasement politics and questioned the Opposition’s objections to extending legal protection to the national song.
Rai also noted that Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, inspired countless freedom fighters during the independence movement. He further criticised the 1937 decision to restrict the song’s official use to its first two stanzas, attributing the move to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, the bill proposes amendments to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The existing law criminalises acts of disrespect towards national symbols such as the national flag, the Constitution and the national anthem, with punishment extending up to three years’ imprisonment.
The amendment seeks to bring Vande Mataram under the ambit of the Act by prescribing penalties for acts considered to be an insult or show disrespect to the national song.
During the debate, BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal alleged that Vande Mataram had been repeatedly disrespected over the decades despite its historic role in India’s freedom struggle. Biju Janata Dal MP Sulata Deo suggested that the national song should be played in Parliament and state legislatures. At the same time, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh said his party opposed any insult to either Vande Mataram or the national anthem.
The passage of the bill enabled the Rajya Sabha to resume its legislative business after days of repeated adjournments and protests.