Vande Mataram Bill clears Parliament as Kharge, Nadda lock horns in RS

Soon after the Bill was passed, sloganeering broke out and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. NEW DELHI: Parliament witnessed another stormy day on Thursday as the government pushed ahead with key legislation while the opposition intensified its attack over the alleged NEET paper leak and police action against protesting students. The Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which makes insulting the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence, while heated exchanges continued in the Rajya Sabha.The opposition also staged protests inside and outside Parliament, demanding that Union home minister Amit Shah answer allegations of excessive force against student protesters. In the Rajya Sabha, leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge called for Shah's resignation, prompting a sharp response from Leader of the House J P Nadda, who accused the opposition of repeatedly disrupting Parliament.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with senior ministers to review India's preparedness in view of the ongoing crisis in West Asia, with the government saying there was no shortage of fuel, fertilisers or other essential supplies. Lok Sabha passes Vande Mataram Bill The Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote amid noisy scenes in the House. The legislation extends to Vande Mataram the same legal protection already available to the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Under the Bill, intentionally preventing the singing of Vande Mataram or disrupting a gathering where it is being sung will become a criminal offence. The punishment is up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both. Repeat offenders will face a minimum jail term of one year.Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai accused the Congress of failing to give the national song the respect it deserved during its years in power. He said the Modi government was restoring its rightful place and ended his speech with chants of "Vande Mataram".The opposition opposed the legislation. DMK MP Kanimozhi called it a "Hindutva agenda" disguised as nationalism. She argued that making all six stanzas compulsory went against the spirit of secularism and federalism. BJP MP Sambit Patra hit back, saying previous governments had failed to honour the national song.Soon after the Bill was passed, sloganeering broke out and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. It is the first Bill to clear both Houses during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Kharge demands Amit Shah's resignation In the Rajya Sabha, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack on the government while speaking on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.Kharge demanded Amit Shah's resignation over the alleged use of force against students protesting the NEET paper leak. He questioned who authorised the use of lathis, tear gas and pellet guns and claimed more than 100 students were injured.He also criticised the proposed anti-paper leak law, saying harsher punishments alone would not solve the problem. Kharge argued that the government had failed to strengthen the examination system and accused it of ignoring similar suggestions made by the Opposition in 2024.The Congress leader demanded a fixed annual examination calendar, a National Youth Employment Strategy, filling vacant government posts and an independent probe into the police action against protesters. He also accused the Centre of undermining academic freedom and making ideological appointments in universities.Government defends anti-paper leak BillReplying to the debate, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the amendment reflected the government's commitment to protecting students and ensuring zero tolerance towards paper leaks.The Bill proposes stricter punishments for those involved in examination fraud. The minimum jail term for using unfair means will increase from three years to five years, with a maximum of 10 years. The maximum fine will rise from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.For organised examination-related crimes, the minimum punishment will increase to seven years, with fines of up to Rs 10 crore. The Bill also provides for Special Fast Track Courts and a Special Task Force to investigate such offences. Opposition protests and Rajya Sabha walkout Congress and other INDIA bloc MPs staged a protest outside Parliament, accusing the government of using excessive force against students and raising allegations over the theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.The MPs carried a donation box as a symbolic protest and raised slogans demanding that Amit Shah answer questions in Parliament.Inside the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs demanded that the Home Minister make a statement on the alleged police action. Chairman C P Radhakrishnan rejected the demand and continued with House business.The Opposition continued shouting slogans before staging a walkout. Responding to the protest, Leader of the House J P Nadda accused Opposition parties of repeatedly disrupting proceedings since the Monsoon Session began. He said the government was prepared to discuss every issue but alleged that the Opposition kept "changing the goalposts". PM reviews West Asia situation Amid the developments in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a nearly two-hour meeting with senior ministers and top officials to assess India's preparedness in view of the conflict in West Asia. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, BJP president J P Nadda, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and other senior officials attended the meeting.According to government sources, ministries briefed the Prime Minister on the steps taken so far. The government said there was no shortage of petrol, diesel, LPG or fertilisers, and assured that adequate urea stocks were available for upcoming crop seasons. A digital news desk journalist at The Times of India with over two years of experience. Closely tracks foreign affairs and international politics. 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