President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday gave assent to a bill criminalising insults to the national song, Vande Mataram.

With the president’s assent, the 2026 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill has become law.

The Lok Sabha passed the legislation on July 30 through a voice vote amid protests by Opposition MPs demanding a discussion on police action against youth protesters on July 20. The Rajya Sabha cleared it a day earlier.

The protests on July 20 were held against alleged mismanagement in the conduct of competitive examinations.

The law gives Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. It states that intentionally preventing the singing of the national song, or disrupting an assembly singing it can be punished with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine or both.

The 1971 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act already makes insulting the national anthem, national flag or Constitution punishable with up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The legislation had faced opposition from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the Lok Sabha, with MP Kanimozhi accusing the government of advancing a “Hindutva agenda” under the cover of nationalism.

Responding to the debate, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the legislation was about “Indian pride” and was not directed against any state or ideology.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Congress of insulting Vande Mataram through “appeasement politics”.

The Union government is commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram.

A Press Information Bureau note issued on November 6 to mark the 150 years stated that the Constituent Assembly had adopted Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and Vande Mataram as the national song.

The note quoted Rajendra Prasad, the first president, as having told the Assembly in January 1950 that Vande Mataram, because of its role in the freedom movement, “shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it”.

On January 28, the Union home ministry directed that all six stanzas of the Vande Mataram be sung first when it is played together with the Jana Gana Mana.

Only the first two stanzas of the national song had been played at official functions earlier. The remaining stanzas, which invoke Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, had been omitted.

Written by Tanya Shrivastava. Edited by Sara Varghese.

We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.