One of the bills set to be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament aims to make any insult or obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.

Under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, a person charged with the ‘offence’ can face up to three years in jail under the new law, similar to the penalty for insulting the National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’.

If passed by both Houses of Parliament, the Bill will make insulting Vande Mataram, considered a National Song, a criminal offence, placing it under the same legal protection as other national symbols such as the National Anthem, the National Flag and the Constitution.

Under the existing law, intentionally preventing the singing of the National Anthem or causing a disturbance during its rendition is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both. The proposed amendment would apply the same penalties to acts of insult or obstruction during the singing of Vande Mataram.

The amended Bill proposes imprisonment of up to three years, which may include a fine, for whoever intentionally prevents or disturbs the singing of the National Song or causes disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing.

Vande Mataram to get precedence over Jana Gana Mana

In a July 9 letter to the states, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed strict compliance with its order on playing the Vande Mataram before Jana Gana Mana, whenever both are performed at official events.

The letter was accompanied by an earlier order specifying the occasions on which the National Song and the National Anthem are to be played or sung at the start, conclusion, or both, of an event, according to PTI.

In its February 6 instructions to the states and other government bodies, the home ministry advised that all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, around 3.10 minutes long, be sung or played at official events and be given precedence over the National Anthem, The Hindu reported.

Vande Mataram, a hymn saluting the motherland, was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and first published in his 1882 novel Anandamath. In 1937, the Indian National Congress decided to use only its first two stanzas at party gatherings. Vande Mataram was accorded the status of India’s National Song on January 24, 1950.