President Murmu gives assent to Bill criminalising insult to Vande Mataram

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday gave assent to a Bill that criminalises intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the National Song Vande Mataram, giving it the same legal protection currently accorded to the National Anthem, a government statement said.

With the President’s assent, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has become a law.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on July 30, while the Rajya Sabha had cleared it a day earlier.

The legislation grants Vande Mataram the same status as the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the practicality of implementing the newly amended law, arguing that mandating its full rendition at official functions could prove counterproductive asking whether respect and patience could be legislated.

Mr. Tharoor noted that while Jana Gana Mana takes about 52 seconds to sing, a full rendition of Vande Mataram lasts around three minutes and 10 seconds. Referring to Tamil Nadu’s decision to precede both with the State Song, he asked whether audiences could realistically be expected to stand respectfully for nearly six minutes before and after every function.

He said he feared that the legislation’s intended objective of promoting greater respect for the National Song might not be achieved and could instead produce the opposite effect.

(With PTI inputs)