07 December,2025 06:25 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
PM Narendra Modi has previously criticised the Congress for removing key stanzas from the song in 1937. File pic
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of the national song, âVande Mataram', in Lok Sabha on Monday, highlighting several important and previously unknown facets of the iconic composition, news agency PTI reported.
Lok Sabha has allocated 10 hours for the discussion titled âDiscussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram'. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to speak second, while Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others, will also participate.
The debate forms part of year-long celebrations marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya. PM Modi has previously criticised the Congress for removing key stanzas from the song in 1937, saying it "sowed the seeds of partition". On November 7, he launched the year-long celebrations aimed particularly at students and youth to deepen awareness about the song's significance.
Many important and unknown facets related to Vande Mataram will come out in front of the nation during the debate, officials told PTI.
In Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate the discussion on Tuesday, followed by Health Minister and Leader of the House, JP Nadda.
Alongside the Vande Mataram debate, the Lower House of the Parliament will discuss electoral reforms on Tuesday and Wednesday, covering all the aspects of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, PTI reported. Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, is scheduled to speak during this debate.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha will take up electoral reforms on Wednesday and Thursday, with Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge among the speakers.
Congress has finalised its list of participants for both debates. On Vande Mataram, besides Gogoi and Gandhi Vadra, the speakers include Deepender Hooda, Bimol Akoijam, Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Kiran Chamala Reddy, and Jyotsana Mahant. For electoral reforms, the party's speakers include KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaikwad, Mohammed Javaid, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isa Khan, Ravi Mallu, Imran Masood, Gowaal Padavi, and Jyothimani.
The first two days of the Winter Session, which began on Monday, December 1, saw repeated adjournments due to Opposition protests on SIR. The Monsoon Session had also been largely disrupted over the same issue in Bihar.
(With PTI inputs)
