Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Chidambaram slams BJP over bill and Vande Mataram controversy
P Chidambaram, a Congress leader, criticized the BJP over a new law concerning Vande Mataram.
He said the argument about the song was unnecessary and deliberately created.
The bill would punish people who intentionally stop the song or disturb a group singing it.
Vande Mataram has six stanzas, but Chidambaram said Congress leaders had agreed to sing only the first two.
He said the other stanzas praise Hindu deities, which had caused debate before independence.
Chidambaram also questioned whether the RSS, Hindu Mahasabha or Jana Sangh had sung the song during the freedom movement.
He argued that the bill was passed too quickly and focused on a non-issue.
The bill was one of 12 measures passed during Parliament’s monsoon session.
P Chidambaram called the Vande Mataram controversy unnecessary and accused the BJP-led Centre of deliberately creating it.
He questioned whether the Hindu Mahasabha, RSS or Jana Sangh sang Vande Mataram during the freedom movement.
Chidambaram said a Congress decision was made to sing only the first two of the song’s six stanzas.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 would punish disrupting or preventing Vande Mataram performances.
He said the bill was introduced and passed within five minutes during Parliament’s monsoon session.
- Who
- Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party and the BJP-led Centre.
- What
- Chidambaram objected to the Vande Mataram controversy and criticized the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
- When
- He spoke on Saturday, August 29, during an event about Parliament’s recently concluded monsoon session.
- Where
- Madurai.
- Why
- Chidambaram said the controversy was unnecessary and deliberately created, and questioned the BJP’s historical connection with Vande Mataram.
Chidambaram’s criticism
Bill’s stated purpose
Need for the legislation
Chidambaram’s criticism
Chidambaram said the controversy was unnecessary, deliberately created and focused on a non-issue.
Bill’s stated purpose
The bill’s stated purpose is to extend legal protection to Vande Mataram by penalizing intentional obstruction or disruption of its singing.
Historical connection
Chidambaram’s criticism
Chidambaram alleged that the BJP and its ideological predecessors—the Hindu Mahasabha, RSS and Jana Sangh—did not sing Vande Mataram during the freedom movement.
Bill’s stated purpose
The article reports the bill’s legal provisions but does not provide a response from the BJP to Chidambaram’s historical allegations.
Which stanzas should be sung
Chidambaram’s criticism
Chidambaram said a Congress deliberation unanimously decided that singing the first two stanzas was sufficient, because the remaining stanzas praise Hindu deities.
Bill’s stated purpose
The bill described in the report concerns protection of the song’s performance and does not specify a restriction to particular stanzas.
- Speaker
- P Chidambaram, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP
- Bill
- Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Existing law
- Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
- Bill’s provision
- It would make intentionally preventing Vande Mataram’s singing or disturbing an assembly singing it an offence.
- Parliamentary timing
- Chidambaram said the bill was introduced at 1:30 pm and passed by 1:35 pm.
- Song structure
- Vande Mataram has six stanzas; Chidambaram said the first two praise the nation and the remaining four praise Hindu deities.
- Other legislation criticized
- Chidambaram also described the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 as mischievous.