On Tuesday (9th December), Union Home Minister Amit Shah sent a formal letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan sharing details of instances of ‘unacceptable conduct’ in connection with India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’.
The motion was moved in the Rajya Sabha after a discussion on the 150th anniversary of the composition of the national song.
As Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned several incidents of disrespect to Vande Mataram, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sought credible information to be placed on the table of the House.
Consequently, the Home Minister wrote a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday, requesting that these facts be included in the official records of the Upper House.
The records submitted mention nine specific incidents between 2018 and 2025, involving certain leaders associated with the Congress, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, and Rashtriya Janata Dal. These incidents have been categorised as “unacceptable conduct” towards the national song.
Source: Lok Sabha
In December 2025, Congress MP Imran Masood and National Conference’s Aga Syed Mehdi refused to sing ‘Vande Mataram’, with Masood citing religious reasons. In 2019, SP MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq said he would not sing ‘Vande Mataram’ while taking oath in the Lok Sabha. In 2025, his grandson Ziaur Rahman Barq also supported this stance. In 2019, Congress MLA Arif Masood also refused to sing the song due to religious reasons. In 2018, the song was reportedly stopped midway at a Congress rally and KC Venugopal reportedly instructed it to end in one line.
In 2022, during the Constitution Day programme in Karnataka, Congress leader and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked workers not to sing Vande Mataram. In 2025, the Samajwadi Party demanded the revocation of the order making the song compulsory in schools. In 2025, RJD MLA Saud Alam refused to stand for ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Bihar Assembly.