PM Modi to lead debate on 150-year-old Vande Matram in Lok Sabha today
PTC News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open a special debate in the Lok Sabha on Monday to mark 150 years of the Vande Mataram. The discussion aims to bring attention to some lesser-known facts about the song.
Modi is expected to speak about the role of Vande Mataram—written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published on November 7, 1875—in India’s freedom struggle, as well as its historical importance and relevance today.
Opposition leaders are also waiting to hear his remarks, especially since last month, during an anniversary event, Modi accused the Congress of removing important verses from the original song at its 1937 session in Faizabad. He claimed that the decision contributed to the idea of Partition and divided the national song. The Congress, however, said the change was made based on advice from Rabindranath Tagore to respect the feelings of people from different religions.
In the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to start a similar discussion on Tuesday. According to the schedule, the ruling NDA has been given three of the total ten hours set aside in the Lok Sabha for the debate.
Earlier, a political dispute had broken out before the start of the Winter Session, after the Rajya Sabha Secretariat reminded MPs not to use slogans like Vande Mataram and Jai Hind inside Parliament to maintain decorum. The Opposition accused the government of being uneasy with symbols of national unity.
The Winter Session will continue until December 19, and the Vande Mataram discussion is expected to be heated due to strong differences between the government and the Opposition.
- With inputs from agencies
