Parliament Winter Session 2025 Live Updates: 'Grave injustice done to Vande Matram, given communal colour' - Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha

Priyanka Gandhi said the Lok Sabha debate on ‘Vande Mataram’ was triggered for two reasons. “First, elections are approaching in Bengal and the Prime Minister wants to create his role there. Second, this government wants an opportunity to level new accusations against those who fought for freedom and made sacrifices for the country,” she stated. She added that the PM Modi government is using the issue to divert public attention from matters that truly affect people.

"PM Modi's today's speech in the Lok Sabha has become a historical document that will inspire future generations. Vande Mataram is an energy, but for some people, it is an allergy...In July 2018, Rahul Gandhi had said that recite only one line from Vande Mataram, Nehru ji limited Vande Mataram to two stanzas, and today both brother and sister went missing from the Lok Sabha," he said.

"Nehru is being accused of appeasement. But will the PM--the Master Distorian-- answer," said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

1. Which Indian leader formed a coalition in Bengal in the early 1940s with the person who moved the Pakistan resolution in Lahore in March 1940? It was Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
2. Which Indian leader applauded Jinnah in Karachi in June 2005? It was LK Advani.
3. Which Indian leader praised Jinnah in his book 2009? It was Jaswant Singh.

"The BJP has never even tried to understand the nation, because in our nation, the patriotism of all its states is woven together. Only then have we become a strong nation. In our nation, there are many languages, many states, but only one national scripture—and that is the Constitution. We are still protecting that very Constitution today," he said.

"How Did ‘Vande Mataram’ become a slogan? In truth, it was originally a song, mentioned in Anandamath, but in 1905 it emerged as a political slogan. In 1905, Viceroy Curzon divided Bengal into two parts. Curzon thought that by doing so he would deal a deep blow to Bengal and the entire country, but that was precisely his mistake. That was the moment when the independence struggle gained profound strength through the Swadeshi Movement. It carried the message that India must rebel with a new vision. In the times that followed, ‘Vande Mataram’ spread widely across the whole country," he said.

"Its spread throughout the country was aided by several important means. Through pamphlets and publications, this slogan that originated in Bengal reached Punjab, Maharashtra, and Madras. Through translations, the interpretation and original spirit of ‘Vande Mataram’ and Anandamath reached the entire country. Gradually, the slogan of ‘Vande Mataram’ was no longer confined to freedom fighters; it reached students as well," he added.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentions Pandit Nehru Ji and the Congress party how many times when speaking on any topic. Operation Sindoor - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 14 times and Congress's name 50 times. 75th Anniversary of the Constitution - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 10 times and Congress's name 26 times. 2022 President's Address - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 15 times. 2020 President's Address - Pandit Nehru Ji's name 20 time. With great humility, I wish to say to Narendra Modi Ji and his entire system. No matter how hard you try - you won't be able to put even a single black mark on Pandit Nehru Ji's contributions," he said.

"Jawaharlal Nehru wrote that 'Vande Mataram's background in the Anand Matth can irritate Muslims'...," said PM Narendra Modi.

"The Muslim League had started to strongly oppose Vande Mataram. Muhammad Ali Jinnah raised a slogan against Vande Mataram on 15 October 1937 from Lucknow... Despite giving a strong and befitting reply to the Muslim League's baseless statements, Nehru started investigating Vande Mataram. Five days after this, Nehru wrote a letter to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose mentioning that he agrees with the feeling of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and wrote, 'Vande Mataram's background in the Anand Matth can irritate Muslims'... After this, Congress stated that, from 26 October onwards, in Bengal, the use of Vande Mataram will be analysed... Unfortunately, on 26 October, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram. They bifurcated the song. The reason behind the decision was of social harmony, but history has it that Congress had knelt before the muslim league. This was their way to appease minorities... Later, Congress had to kneel and agree to the partition of India... Congress policies are still the same, and along the way, the Indian National Congress has become the Muslim League Congress (MLC). Even today, Congress and its allied parties oppose Vande Mataram and try to create controversy around it," he added.

"Some great people of India dreamed of a free India, and today’s generation dreams of a prosperous India. The inspiration for both is Vande Mataram. We have to make India Aatmanirbhar and Viksit by 2047. Vande Mataram will keep inspiring us, and we must take it forward together. I believe that both the Houses will be inspired and energised by the debates held in both the Houses," he said.

"Vande mataram became the voice of our freedom movement. It integrated everyone in the country and became the resolve of every Indian... 'Swaarth ka balidaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram'... 'Veer ka abhimaan hai ye shabd Vande Mataram'... During the British era, it became a fashion to show India as weak, useless, lazy, and demeaned in all possible ways. The same language was spoken by people in our country as well. Bankim da composed the song to shake the conscience of the country and bring an awakening... This song was to revive our history and legacy of a thousand years," he said.

"This is when the British started to divide and rule. They used Bengal as their laboratory. Even they knew that Bengal's intellectual capability gave direction, strength, and inspiration to the country. They knew Bengal's capabilities were the focal point of the country. This is why they divided Bengal. They believed that if Bengal was divided, the country would be divided too... When they divided Bengal in 1905, Vande Mataram stood like a rock," he said.

"Vande Mataram was so great, then why did injustice happen to it in the last century? Why was there betrayal with Vande Mataram? Which were those powers whose wishes overshadowed the emotions of Mahatma Gandhi?" he said.

"In the same era, Vande Mataram’s recording reached different parts of the world. At London’s India House, which became a hub for freedom fighters, Veer Savarkar used to sing Vande Mataram time and again," he said.

"Vande Mataram was not just a mantra for political independence. It was not limited to our independence; it was way beyond that. The freedom movement was a war to free our motherland from the clutches of slavery... During our Vedas, it was said, This land is my mother, and I am the son of the soil. This same idea was conveyed by Shri Ram when he gave up Lanka, 'जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गत अपि गरियासि'. Vande Mataram is a modern avatar of our great cultural legacy," he said.

"There is no leadership and opposition here. We are here to appreciate and accept the debt of Vande Mataram collectively. It is because of this song that we are all here together. It is a sacred occasion for all of us to acknowledge the debt of Vande Mataram... It united the nation from North to South and from East to West. The time has come to unite again and move together with everyone. This song should inspire and energise us to fulfil the dreams of our freedom fighters. We need to reiterate the resolve to make our nation self-reliant and developed by 2047," he said.

"When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, India was under British rule. When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, India was in the clutches of Emergency... At that time, the patriots were imprisoned. When the song that inspired our freedom movement, unfortunately, India was witnessing a black period.... 150 years of Vande Mataram is an opportunity to reinstate that pride and that great part of our past... This song inspired us to attain freedom in 1947," he said.

"Vande Mataram is a mantra, a slogan which gave energy, inspiration, and showed the path for sacrifice and penance to the freedom movement. It is a matter of pride that we are becoming witnesses to 150 years of Vande Mataram. It is a historic moment. It is a period when many historical events are being celebrated as milestones... We recently celebrated 75 years of our Constitution. The country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda. We are also celebrating the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur ji. Now we are celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on Vande Mataram as the song completes 150 years. Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and formally declared India’s National Song in 1950, Vande Mataram will be taken up for a total of 10 hours of debate in each House during this week’s winter session.

"When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, country was under colonial rule and at its 100th anniversary the nation was under Emergency," he said.

"The prime minister has nothing to do with the public. He works like this... It is a song. What did he want to discuss on this? Does it make any difference?... What message do they want to give by discussing it? There must be some motive behind the discussion. They did not want to discuss the public interest issues," he said.

"Mahakumbh was the biggest congregation, and people had to buy expensive tickets to come to the Mahakumbh. After the Pahalgam terror attack, flight tickets from Srinagar became expensive. Now we are seeing that IndiGo has brought the government to its knees. What is the reason? On one hand, the governmet claimed that even a person wearing 'hawai chappal' can travel in an aeroplane, but with these ticket costs, those wearing shoes are also unable to afford it... I have heard that the Board of Directors has all BJP members," he said.

"It is a matter of pride for the country that the song which rose as a spark of the freedom struggle and reduced the entire British empire to ashes is now receiving its due credit. The Congress government had removed the entire portion mentioning Goddess Durga from the song... Congress party has always been anti-women," she said.

"There are many things that should be discussed, and I am also demanding discussion on many things. This is our national song, and when we sing it, we feel proud... We are people who honour revolutionaries. This is a moment of pride, and there should be a positive discussion on this," he said.

"RSS was not part of any kind of fight against the British, but their part... This is why they never sang Vande Mataram till we got freedom. The followers of RSS must first say what they have to speak on freedom struggle... Now the PM will try to speak on all kinds of fake narratives... Vande Mataram was a song that was included as a part of the struggle in a meeting of Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, JL Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose. Thus the RSS and BJP don't have the right to speak on Vande Mataram other than dividing the nation," he said.

"This is a very good thing... The song that brought us freedom, the song that gave everyone strength during our independence, will be discussed today... This song is as important today as it was during the days of freedom struggle," he said.

"On Babri Masjid Row, he says, "This is all a conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee... She wants unrest to continue across the country, especially in West Bengal... She wants to take advantage of this in the elections... But this will not benefit her. This will unite Bengal and support the NDA," he added.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh will speak at 5pm today.

"Today, there will be a 10-hour discussion in the Lok Sabha on Vande Mataram... In such a vast country, Vande Mataram played a very significant role in binding the freedom struggles taking place in different ways at different places into the thread of unity... Today, there will be a debate on this in Parliament, and I believe that today will be an unforgettable day in India's democratic history," he said.

"There must also be a debate about those who wrote letters opposing the Quit India Movement and seeking to crush it. Those who sat in the government with the Muslim League and were acting as sycophants of the British when our warriors were fighting for the country's independence, they too should be discussed. There should also be a discussion about those who apologised... Today, those in power are crushing the nation's public sentiment," he said.

"I am participating in that, and I am very happy about it. It's not just a song; it creates patriotism among people. It was composed 150 years ago, before independence, so this song united everybody," she said.

"The entire nation will witness a historic moment in both Houses where glorious tribute will be paid to Vande Mataram... It is not just a song, but a clarion call which united crores of Indians in their struggle against the British Raj, slavery, invaders... But on the other hand, the country will like to see when Rahul Gandhi, if participating in the discussion, would begin by apologizing to the country for the crime done by his family towards this song... Nehru ji was against this song," he said.

"Prioritizing appeasement and vote bank, he started a campaign against it saying it has a communal tinge... And Congress continues this kind of politics and appeasement where they target national identity for vote bank... They first divided Vande Mataram in the CWC meeting, then divided the nation and now divide the country based on caste lines... So today Rahul Gandhi and Congress should apologize for the great crime they did against Vande Mataram," he added.

"Whether we celebrate 50 years of Independence, 50 years of becoming a republic, or the anniversary of any song associated with our freedom movement, when such things are remembered, today should also be evaluated... Is the nationalism in Vande Mataram today inclusive or alienating? We should also see how successful we have been in thinking about the challenges we face," he said.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh submitted a motion in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 267, calling for suspension of the scheduled agenda to hold an immediate discussion. He pressed for a debate on what he termed a “public health emergency” in Delhi, the surge in crime, and the humanitarian issues arising from bulldozer-led demolitions.

The 6th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the 269th Session of the Rajya Sabha began on December 1, marking the start of Parliament’s Winter Session, which will run until December 19.

"What was the role played by the RSS? Did they participate in the freedom movement of the country? Did they work for the independence of the country? No," he said, asserting that the organisation rose to political prominence only decades after independence," he said.

"This is what some political analysts are saying, elected autocracy, and they want to impose a monolithic, illiberal, and communal agenda on the people of our country, and they also try to use Vande Mataram to establish their presence and rewrite the history and redefine the Indian nation roots," he added.

The anniversary comes at a moment when political arguments around the song’s origins, religious symbolism, and its interpretation by India’s pre-independence leaders have resurfaced. What began as a patriotic hymn in a Bengali novel has once again become a touchpoint in ideological debates, contested histories, and conversations about national identity.

The forthcoming debate is a key element of Parliament’s special emphasis on the legacy of Vande Mataram. However, political tensions sharpened last month during the 150th-year commemoration of the song, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress had “omitted significant stanzas” from the original composition at its 1937 Faizabad session — a move he said “sowed the seeds of partition.”

"On the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram, Parliament will be discussing this topic, and we will also be able to hear the Prime Minister's address. The country is eager and excited to hear him... Today, in the first quarter of the 21st century, the youth of the country will undoubtedly receive the same energy and inspiration as during the freedom struggle. Back then, the fight was for independence and political freedom. Now, the fight is for social and cultural freedom. Therefore, I expect that, leaving behind the mistakes of past, rising above partisanship, regardless of fundamentalist ideas or votes, all parties will collectively express their views in this celebration of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, and further strengthen the spirit of national development and national unity," he said.

"I want to thank the BJP government and Prime Minister for highlighting lost heroes marginalised by Nehru-Gandhi politics and establishing their authenticity... The 'Sardar@150' program marked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary, with the Unity March across India and debates on his contributions. His name was suppressed for years... Similarly, Our national song, Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay on November 7, 1875, marked 150 years," he said.

"Today, nationwide celebrations commemorate its significance, history, and reconnect us with our foundational sacrifices... Let us strive to relive those times when our ancestors shed blood for this country, chanting Vande Mataram. I know Sonia Gandhi might criticise this, but the truth is the truth... Three points are noteworthy about Nehru from Sachiv Bhattacharya's book: First, he read the English version of Anand Math six days before the CWC meeting, even though it was translated into Indian languages at the time... If someone needs a dictionary to understand this much (Vande Mataram), then he isn't a legacy-maker. Most importantly, he said that Vande Mataram is going to irritate the Muslims. This was Nehru's false sense of secularism. Tomorrow, when there will be a discussion in Parliament on Vande Mataram, I feel that the legacy of Nehru will again be a subject of debate, discussion and might be exposed," he added.

Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka issued a notice seeking suspension of the Lok Sabha’s scheduled business to discuss an alleged case of sexual harassment, blackmail and intimidation of a first-year BEd student from the Scheduled Caste community in Odisha.

The incident reportedly took place at the National Sanskrit University in Tirupati, a Central University functioning under the ministry of education. Ulaka urged the House to take up the matter immediately, calling the case “shocking” and demanding urgent debate and action.

Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, will take part in debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, while Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to speak on electoral reforms the following day. PTI sources said the party has finalised its list of participants for both discussions, which will run in the Lok Sabha from Monday to Wednesday.

Other Congress speakers in the lower house include Deepender Hooda, Bimol Akoijam, Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Kiran Chamala Reddy, and Jyotsana Mahant.

For the debate on electoral reforms, Congress will field KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaekwad, Mohammed Javaid, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isa Khan, Ravi Mallu, Imran Masood, Gowaal Padavi, and Jyothimani.

Both topics will also be debated in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, where Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge will address the House.

The Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram, with several significant and lesser-known aspects of the song’s history set to be highlighted. Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak at noon, while defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver the concluding remarks.

The BJP-led NDA has been given three hours in the Lok Sabha debate, and the overall discussion—spread across both Houses—has been allotted 10 hours. The Rajya Sabha will take up the debate on Tuesday, December 9, with Union home minister Amit Shah expected to initiate the proceedings there.

These debates form part of Parliament’s special focus on honouring the legacy and 150-year journey of Vande Mataram.