New Delhi: Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said that those who insult the National Song Vande Mataram should face legal action and called for granting it statutory protection similar to the national anthem.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, Thakur urged the government to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 so that the national song receives the same legal safeguards as other national symbols such as the national flag and the national anthem.
He said Vande Mataram, composed in 1875 by renowned Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, holds a special place in India’s history and played a major role in inspiring freedom fighters during the independence movement. The song was later adopted as India’s National Song in 1950.
Thakur also referred to the discussion held in Parliament on December 8, 2025 to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, where members highlighted its role in strengthening national unity and inspiring people during important phases of the country’s history.
The Hamirpur MP also mentioned the protocol issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2026, which mandates the playing of the full six-verse composition of Vande Mataram, with an official duration of three minutes and ten seconds, before the national anthem at formal events and in schools.
However, Thakur pointed out that while the national anthem enjoys statutory protection under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 with clear penal provisions for disrespect, the national song currently does not have similar legal protection.
He said amending the law to include Vande Mataram would help prevent deliberate insults, protect India’s cultural heritage and strengthen national integration. Thakur added that such a step would also reaffirm the constitutional duty of citizens to respect national symbols and ensure legal action against those who insult the national song.
