Parliament Debate on ‘Vande Mataram’ Begins Today, PM Modi to Lead Discussion

PM Modi to Launch 150th-Year Debate on ‘Vande Mataram’ in Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday kick off a special debate in Parliament to mark 150 years of “Vande Mataram”, the national song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya. The debate, part of year-long anniversary celebrations, has been allocated eight hours and will begin in the Lok Sabha with PM Modi’s address. In the Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will open the discussion on Tuesday.

Parliamentary sources said the debate will highlight both well-known and lesser-known aspects of Vande Mataram. From the Trinamool Congress, Lok Sabha MPs Mahua Moitra and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhendu S Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee will speak, including portions in Bengali to underline the song’s regional roots.

The Congress will be represented by Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi in the Lok Sabha and party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha. PM Modi had earlier accused the Congress of removing key stanzas of the song in 1937, calling it an attempt to “sow the seeds of partition.”

Alongside the Vande Mataram debate, Parliament will also discuss election reforms, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will speak in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, while the Rajya Sabha will take up the issue on Wednesday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the schedule, emphasizing the government’s aim to ensure smooth discussions amid disruptions in the winter session.