Overview
- In his opening speech, the prime minister cited a 1937 letter he attributed to Jawaharlal Nehru to claim Congress believed ‘Vande Mataram’ could “provoke and irritate Muslims,” arguing the party compromised on the song.
- He linked the song’s centenary to the Emergency, saying the Constitution was “throttled” and patriots were jailed when ‘Vande Mataram’ turned 100.
- Opposition leaders rejected the BJP’s framing, saying the ruling party is trying to own and politicise a shared national symbol.
- Parliament has allotted 10 hours for the discussion across both Houses, with the government given three hours in the Lok Sabha and Amit Shah set to open the Rajya Sabha debate next.
- The commemoration marks 150 years since Bankim Chandra Chatterjee first published the song in 1875, a backdrop to recent tensions over a Rajya Sabha decorum note advising MPs to avoid slogans inside the chamber.