Bill makes insult to Vande Mataram a crime

A bill criminalising insults to the national song Vande Mataram was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Friday amid opposition protests. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 1971 act to bring Vande Mataram on a par with the national anthem, with imprisonment up to five years. Left parties opposed the bill, calling it a distraction from the NEET paper leak row and demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.