Vande Mataram row: Which section of the new law can put Sonia Gandhi in the dock
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Vande Mataram row: Which section of the new law can put Sonia Gandhi in the dock")
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi gesture during Vande Mataram rendition on Aug 15 Photograph: (Screengrab from video on X)
BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, who is a descendant of Vande Mataram’s author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has written to Sonia Gandhi seeking an unconditional apology. The row comes days after the Parliament passed a law extending specific criminal protection to Vande Mataram.
Some gestures, facial expressions and undecipherable exchanges of words involving Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi during the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram at the party headquarters on Independence Day triggered a big controversy and led to the filing of police complaints across the nation.
A complaint filed in Delhi seeks an FIR and investigation against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, who is a descendant of Vande Mataram’s author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has written to Sonia Gandhi seeking an unconditional apology.
The controversy comes days after the Parliament passed a law extending specific criminal protection to Vande Mataram, making the timing of the dispute particularly significant.
What do the provisions of the new Vande Mataram law say?
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
The police complaints and likely probe will largely depend on the provisions of the law.
The Parliament recently passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 during the Monsoon Session. After the assent of President Droupadi Murmu, it has become the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026.
The legislation amended Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which until now only protected the national anthem.
The recent amendment extends that same safeguard to Vande Mataram, giving the national song statutory protection against intentional disruption of its singing.
Under the amended provision, a person can be punished if they intentionally prevent the singing of the national anthem or national song, or intentionally cause disturbance to an assembly engaged in such singing.
The punishment for this disturbance can extend to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. The law also retains the provision dealing with repeat offenders, and now a person convicted for a second or subsequent offence under the relevant provisions faces a minimum one-year imprisonment.
However, the specific offence concerns intentionally preventing Vande Mataram singing or intentionally causing disturbance to an assembly singing it.
That distinction would be crucial if the police complaints progress.
What happened on August 15 at Congress headquarters?
A full rendition of Vande Mataram was on during the Independence Day celebrations at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi when Sonia Gandhi was seen making gestures and speaking to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul Gandhi was also present nearby.
BJP leaders alleged that Sonia Gandhi objected to the rendition of the full song and was wanting to get it stopped.
BJP’s Amit Malviya alleged that she appeared agitated as the full version continued.
Congress rejected that interpretation, and MP Jairam Ramesh said the entire song was sung and that there was no controversy. The party claimed that Sonia was asking for a chair for Kharge, who had been standing for a considerable period during the function.
Also Read: ‘We cannot live with war’: Former Iran president warns against prolonged conflict, urges diplomacy
BJP accuses Sonia, Cong of showing disrespect to national song
The BJP accuses Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership of showing disrespect to the national song, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that the incident was the outcome of the Congress party’s vote-bank politics.
The BJP also criticised Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, saying that they should have ensured that the national song was treated with due respect.
A complaint filed with the Delhi Police seeks registration of an FIR against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over the alleged incident at the Congress headquarters. The complaint seeks an investigation into an obstruction during the singing of Vande Mataram.
