NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has formally documented a set of nine incidents that, according to him, reflect acts of disrespect toward India’s national song Vande Mataram. On December 9, he submitted this report to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, requesting that the document be incorporated into the official parliamentary records.
यह हम सभी का दायित्व है कि हम बच्चों और युवाओं के मन में 'वन्दे मातरम्' के संस्कार पुनर्जीवित करें, प्रतिष्ठित करें और इसके मार्ग पर अपना जीवन जीने के लिए प्रेरित करें। pic.twitter.com/w06b7LEmHo
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 9, 2025
Debate on the 150th Anniversary of Vande Mataram
The submission came in the aftermath of an intense discussion in the Rajya Sabha held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s composition of Vande Mataram. During that debate, Shah referred to several past instances where, in his view, political leaders had failed to honour the national song.
Following these references, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh urged Shah to place all such claims on record with verified information. Responding to this request, Shah compiled a factual note dated December 9, 2025, and forwarded it to the Rajya Sabha Chairman for official inclusion.
कांग्रेस ने संसद में 'वन्दे मातरम्' का गान बंद कराया था, इंडी अलायंस के नेता आज भी इसका अपमान करते हैं। pic.twitter.com/95Iqpb5YaQ
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 9, 2025
Shah stated that the intention behind submitting the report was to ensure that the Parliament’s archives contain a clear, traceable, and authoritative account of the incidents he cited during the debate. According to him, this would remove ambiguity and prevent any future misinterpretation of the events.
Nine Incidents Listed from 2018–2025
The report catalogues nine controversies spanning seven years and involving members of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the National Conference (JKNC), and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Shah categorised these episodes as “unacceptable conduct”, claiming they represent repeated and deliberate acts of refusal to sing or stand for Vande Mataram, actions he believes undermine national sentiment and unity.
जिस कांग्रेस पार्टी के अधिवेशनों की शुरुआत गुरुदेव टैगोर 'वन्दे मातरम्' गाकर कराते थे, उसी 'वन्दे मातरम्' पर जब लोकसभा में चर्चा की शुरुआत हुई, तब गांधी परिवार के सदस्य नदारद थे।
आज वे कह रहे हैं कि 'वन्दे मातरम्' पर चर्चा की कोई आवश्यकता नहीं है। pic.twitter.com/yBIyjlbRwb
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 9, 2025
Two of the most recent cases highlighted in the report involve Congress MP Imran Masood and JKNC leader Agha Syed Mehdi. According to the document, Masood allegedly declined to sing Vande Mataram, reportedly invoking religious reasons for his refusal, while Mehdi also chose not to participate in singing the national song at a public event. Shah noted these incidents to underscore what he described as a continuing pattern among certain political figures who object to Vande Mataram based on personal or religious interpretations.
जिस 'वन्दे मातरम्' को गांधी जी ने ‘शुद्धतम आत्मा से निकला हुआ गान’ कहा, उसी गीत को कांग्रेस ने दो हिस्सों में बाँट दिया। pic.twitter.com/L07rIWRROR
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 9, 2025
Shah’s report also revisits several earlier controversies involving refusals to sing Vande Mataram. It notes that in 2019, SP MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq publicly declared that he would not sing the national song during his Lok Sabha oath-taking, citing religious principles. His grandson, SP MLA Ziaurrahman Barq, reiterated the same stance in 2025, underscoring what Shah described as a long-standing family position.
The report further mentions that in 2019, Congress MLA Arif Masood similarly declined to sing Vande Mataram, again invoking religious doctrine. Beyond these incidents, the document highlights a 2018 Congress rally where party general secretary K C Venugopal allegedly instructed organisers to end the song after the first line, effectively cutting the performance short. It also cites a 2022 report claiming that then–Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed party workers not to sing the national song during a Constitution Day event, which Shah argued was inappropriate given the occasion. In addition, the report refers to the Samajwadi Party’s 2025 demand to rescind a government order mandating the singing of Vande Mataram in schools, and to RJD MLA Saud Alam’s refusal to stand for the song in the Bihar Assembly the same year, a move that sparked protests among fellow legislators.
By compiling these nine incidents and submitting them to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Shah said his intention is to provide institutional clarity by formally documenting each episode, establish factual accountability for the conduct referenced during the parliamentary debate, and ensure that future discussions on Vande Mataram are anchored in verified parliamentary records. He emphasised that the national song occupies a significant place in India’s cultural and historical identity, arguing that the incidents detailed in his report represent concerning departures from the respect Vande Mataram is owed.
