Actor-MP Kangana Ranaut and movie legend Sharmila Tagore are embroiled in a public debate over Vande Mataram.
The BJP has strongly condemned the Congress's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram, vowing to protect the dignity and national status of the full version of the national song and launch a nationwide campaign to spread its significance.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticised the Centre's new mandate requiring the full rendition of the National Song, Vande Mataram, alongside the National Anthem at official functions. Tharoor argues that the extended duration could lead to a decrease in respect rather than an increase, citing practical considerations for audiences. The amendment bill, which grants Vande Mataram equal statutory penal protection as the National Anthem, recently received presidential assent.
A Hindi song with a 'Vande Mataram' refrain, not the official national song, was played at a government event in Thane attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who subsequently directed organisers to adhere strictly to the approved version.
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council has voiced strong opposition to any directive making the singing of 'Vande Mataram' compulsory, especially for Christians. They argue that patriotism should not be reduced to forced conformity and that India's constitutional values of liberty, pluralism, and freedom of conscience must be respected. The council also called for dialogue and sensitivity from state institutions.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to a bill which now provides 'Vande Mataram' with the same legal protection and status as India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have lodged a formal complaint against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at the Urwa police station in Karnataka on Sunday, following a controversy during the recitation of the national song Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Independence Day.
Kerala University vice-chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal on Saturday said those who do not say Vande Mataram do not know who their mother is.
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence. The bill, which also covers other national symbols, was passed amidst protests from opposition parties regarding the NEET paper leak. Union Minister Nityanand Rai criticised the opposition's stance, emphasising the song's historical significance and its role in national unity.
This year's Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort uniquely featured the national song 'Vande Mataram', marking 150 years of its profound legacy and historical significance in India's freedom struggle.
Vande Mataram, the national song that has stirred passions and political controversies for more than a century, received legal protection on Thursday with Parliament passing a bill making any insult to it a punishable offence, rekindling the long-running debate over its place in India's history and identity.
The West Bengal government has directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect.
The Indian government plans to introduce a bill in the Rajya Sabha to make obstruction or insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence. This amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, aims to grant 'Vande Mataram' the same statutory protection as the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana', with penalties up to three years' imprisonment.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has questioned the necessity of playing all five verses of Vande Mataram at the beginning and end of official events, calling the practice "unnecessary and burdensome". He highlighted the practical difficulties and lack of legal basis for mandating the full version at every function.
The Congress Working Committee has decided to adhere to its 1937 resolution, mandating that only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' be sung at all party events, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which labelled the Congress the 'new Muslim League'.
The BJP accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the full version of Vande Mataram at an Independence Day event, sparking a political row. The Congress denied the charge, stating Gandhi was only seeking a chair for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and clarified the historical context of the song's usage.
For the first time in Independence Day celebrations, 'Vande Mataram' will be rendered at the Red Fort complex during the 79th anniversary on August 15, followed by the recitation of the National Anthem, marking 150 years of the National Song's legacy.
Parliament has passed The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making any insult to the national song Vande Mataram a criminal offence, punishable with imprisonment up to three years or a fine.
The West Bengal government has mandated the singing of 'Vande Mataram' at assembly prayers in all madrassas with immediate effect. This decision follows a similar directive for all schools in the state and aims to bring uniformity in assembly practices across institutions.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan addressed the controversy surrounding the full rendition of Vande Mataram during the UDF government's swearing-in ceremony, stating that neither he nor his colleagues were informed beforehand. The issue has sparked political debate, with the CPI(M) criticising the move and the BJP accusing the Communists of insulting the national song.
November 7 2025, marked the 150th year of India's revered national song, Vande Mataram.
Thousands of Naga students and citizens rallied in Kohima, Nagaland, opposing the central government's directive to mandate the singing of Vande Mataram in official functions and educational institutions, citing concerns over secularism and religious freedom.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has expressed his displeasure over the incomplete rendition of 'Vande Mataram' in the state Assembly during his presence for the UDF government's policy address, emphasising the importance of adhering to proper protocol.
An Indore court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Congress councilor Fauzia Sheikh Alim, who is accused of refusing to sing 'Vande Mataram' during a municipal corporation meeting, citing a prima facie case under BNS section 196(1).
For the first time in history, the national song 'Vande Mataram' will be sung at the Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has criticized the central government's directive mandating the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram at official functions, alleging it violates religious freedom.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated a discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, recalling the Emergency period when the national song completed 100 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party, alleging that the dropping of important stanzas from the national song 'Vande Mataram' in 1937 sowed the seeds of partition. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the year-long commemoration of 'Vande Mataram'.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh advocates for an unbiased evaluation of 'Vande Mataram', asserting it and 'Anand Math' were against British imperialism, not Islam.
The Union Home Ministry has directed that Vande Mataram be sung before the National Anthem in official events, establishing new protocols for the National Song's performance and promoting its wider adoption.
The Constituent Assembly had accorded 'Vande Mataram', composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji, the status of national song.
A political controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after the Tamil invocation song was rendered last during the swearing-in of new ministers. Left parties have criticised the decision to sing the Tamil anthem after Vande Mataram and the national anthem.
In a measured but scathing attack, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of committing a 'big sin' by creating a controversy over Vande Mataram and claimed that the government pushed for a debate on the national song as the West Bengal assembly polls were approaching.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that singing 'Vande Mataram' will be made compulsory in every school and educational institution of the state.
The dominant theme at this year's ceremonial parade at the Kartavya Path, and other associated celebrations, has been the sesquicentenary of the national song, 'Vande Mataram.'
Banerjee said she had come across media reports claiming that the patriotic slogans were not being permitted in the House.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday, which is expected to bring to light several important and previously unknown facets about the national song.
'For someone who found his patriotism for India while living in America, this is a very momentous occasion.'
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party's MPs will chant 'Vande Mataram' loudly in Parliament, daring the BJP to throw them out.
The Lok Sabha will debate the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram' and electoral reforms after an all-party agreement, potentially breaking the logjam over discussions on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
