Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked the memories of the Emergency (1975) while commemorating the 150th year of Vande Mataram in Parliament. The Prime Minister also described the patriotic hymn as a guiding force of India’s freedom struggle and a symbol of resilience against oppression. As the Prime Minister arrived in the Lok Sabha, members of the ruling party broke into slogans of Vande Mataram, setting the tone for the historic occasion, reported IANS. The Prime Minister further emphasised that the celebration was not merely ceremonial but a moment of reflection on India’s democratic journey. PM Modi, while speaking at the lower house, asserted that, “We all have this great fortune in this House... On this historic occasion, we are witnessing a moment that brings to light the heart of history,” as cited by news agency IANS. He also urged fellow parliamentarians to use the discussion as a source of education for future generations. The Prime Minister, while speaking at the Lok Sabha, also highlighted that many chapters of history had unfolded before them, from the sacrifices of freedom fighters to the trials faced during the Emergency. He further recalled that when Vande Mataram marked its 100th year, the country was shackled under the chains of the Emergency. While the Prime Minister was asserting his views on the ‘Emergency’, the lower house triggered a burst of slogans from the treasury benches: “Shame, shame, shame.” PM Modi noted how the Constitution was strangled, and patriots were jailed After asserting about the ‘Emergency’, the Prime Minister further described the period of ‘Emergency’ as a “dark calamity” in India’s democratic history, contrasting it with the current celebration of 75 years of the Constitution and 150 years of Vande Mataram. PM Modi also linked the commemoration to other milestones being observed this year -- the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda and the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur. He said that these anniversaries together reflect the spirit of sacrifice and unity that shaped India’s destiny. The Prime Minister also added, “The 150th journey of Vande Mataram has passed through many stages. Today is an opportunity to restore pride in that great chapter. I believe Parliament and the nation must rise to this occasion. This should never be allowed to happen again,” as per IANS. Stressing that the leadership of the freedom struggle was carried with Vande Mataram, he further pointed out that this was something that lifted the energy and spirit in freedom fighters. (With inputs from IANS)
08 December,2025 01:31 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAs widespread delays and cancellations cripple IndiGo’s operations across major airports, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Centre, alleging that the government was protecting the airline instead of regulating it. Her remarks come at a time when thousands of passengers are stranded across the country due to severe network disruptions. Chaturvedi said, “Who will explain the reasons? The people who never gave you any reason will now try to explain why the norms were not being followed. While other airlines complied, why was IndiGo given exemption? The entire government seems to be in IndiGo’s pocket and it has been proven that as soon as flights stopped taking off or were canceled, they violated the existing norms and regulations. I believe this has been going on for a long time. Why did the Civil Aviation Ministry allow them to continue their arbitrary actions? Why were the DGCA officials not held accountable? Now, only a show cause notice is being issued…” Echoing the criticism, Trinamool MP Kirti Azad launched an even sharper attack on the airline, saying, “IndiGo is a thief airline. They charge passengers for seats, food, water, and soon they may even charge for using the toilet. Two years ago, it was known that pilots need rest for passenger safety; if a pilot doesn’t get the mandated 48-hour rest, accidents can happen. But IndiGo ignored this law because it has become a money-making machine.” “The government and DGCA should answer why this negligence was allowed. IndiGo, with a 64 per cent market share, operates with impunity, while other airlines like Tata are careful due to grounded planes. IndiGo should be fined crores immediately. Despite ticket caps of Rs 15,000, they are charging Rs 50,000–60,000. The airline has no fear of the government, and the government is acting like a business promoter instead of a regulator,” she added. Congress MP Jebi Mather also expressed concern, calling the situation a nationwide distress: “The IndiGo issue is such a disaster; passengers across the country are finding it very difficult. This situation should be resolved as soon as possible…” IndiGo, India’s largest carrier with over 60 per cent market share, has been facing major operational breakdowns due to crew shortages, flight duty time violations, and alleged over-scheduling despite staff fatigue concerns. The disruptions have led to mass cancellations and sky-high spot fares on several routes. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to the airline, but Opposition leaders argue that regulatory action has been too little, too late. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
08 December,2025 01:30 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | IANSThe National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party will hold a meeting on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 9:30 AM, according to an official notice issued by the BJP Parliamentary Party office. As reported by news agency ANI, the meeting will take place at the G.M.C. Balayogi Auditorium in the Parliament Library Building (PLB). The notice, signed by Office Secretary Dr Shiv Shakti Nath Bakshi, directed all NDA Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to be present on time. Meanwhile, on the sixth day of the Parliament Winter Session, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs will felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi today for the landslide victory in the Bihar assembly election. PM Modi is participating in a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of "Vande Mataram" today, which will touch on many important and lesser-known facets of the iconic song, reported ANI. The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate. A total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house. On Tuesday, December 9. Further, the House convened at 11 am, beginning with a question hour. During the question hour, a separate list was raised and answered by the concerned ministers about the issues that were put up by the MPs. Following this, several ministers also laid papers on the table, including Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Ministry of Culture), Jayant Chaudhary (Ministry of Education), Pankaj Chaudhary (Ministry of Finance), Sushri Shobha Karandlaje (Ministry of Labour and Employment), Kirti Vardhan Singh (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), and Harsh Malhotra (Ministry of Corporate Affairs), reported ANI. Furthermore, Rajya Sabha also saw the presentation of the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Energy by Shrirang Appa Barne and Shrikant Eknath Shinde, on the subject of 'Performance Evaluation of Solar Power Projects in the Country'. Statements of the Standing Committee on Energy will be laid on Tuesday, showing final action taken by the government on previous reports concerning the Ministries of Power and New and Renewable Energy. As reported by news agency ANI, Rajeev Rai and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam will present the 371st Report of the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, reviewing autonomous bodies and institutions under the Ministry of Education, including NTA, NAAC, ICHR, ICPR, ICSSR, IIAS (Shimla), and the Auroville Foundation. (With inputs from ANI)
08 December,2025 01:11 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentOn the sixth day of the Parliament Winter Session, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs are set to felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the party’s landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly election. PM Modi is also expected to take part in a special discussion marking the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram”, which will highlight both prominent and lesser-known aspects of the iconic song, reported news agency ANI. The BJP-led NDA has been allocated three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while the full discussion, which will continue in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, December 9, has been allotted a total of 10 hours. Further, the House will convene at 11 am, beginning with question hour, during which questions entered on a separate list were raised and answered by the concerned ministers. Following this, several ministers will lay papers on the Table, including Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Ministry of Culture), Jayant Chaudhary (Ministry of Education), Pankaj Chaudhary (Ministry of Finance), Sushri Shobha Karandlaje (Ministry of Labour and Employment), Kirti Vardhan Singh (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), and Harsh Malhotra (Ministry of Corporate Affairs). According to ANI, the House will also see the presentation of the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Energy by Shrirang Appa Barne and Shrikant Eknath Shinde, on the subject of 'Performance Evaluation of Solar Power Projects in the Country'. Alongside, statements of the Standing Committee on Energy will be laid, showing final action taken by the government on previous reports concerning the Ministries of Power and New and Renewable Energy. In addition, Rajeev Rai and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam will present the 371st Report of the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, reviewing autonomous bodies and institutions under the Ministry of Education, including NTA, NAAC, ICHR, ICPR, ICSSR, IIAS (Shimla), and the Auroville Foundation. Statements of the Standing Committee on Finance will also be tabled by Bhartuhari Mahtab and Jayanta Kumar Roy, covering the final action taken by the government on reports regarding Demands for Grants 2024-25 for the Ministries of Finance, Corporate Affairs, NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Furthermore, the Committee on Estimates will lay five action-taken statements for the year 2025-26, covering implementation reviews of solar parks, the PMGSY scheme, Green Highways under NHDP, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, and the PM MITRA textile parks scheme. Brijmohan Agarwal and Sanjay Jaiswal will present these statements. (With ANI inputs)
08 December,2025 12:42 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndiGo’s ongoing nationwide flight disruptions have left passengers at Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport struggling with cancellations, unanswered queries, and rising travel expenses on Monday. A visibly distressed passenger told ANI that she had been stranded for days with no clarity or assistance from the airline, highlighting the growing frustration among travellers. The traveller, who had flown from Jaipur to Guwahati, said her scheduled return flight on December 5 at 5:55 PM was abruptly cancelled, triggering chaos at the airport. "I had come from Jaipur and had a return ticket for December 5 in an IndiGo flight scheduled at 5.55 PM. It was cancelled, and there was a lot of chaos at the airport, due to which the staff closed the window, and we went back," she said. She added that she made repeated attempts over the next three days to reschedule his ticket or contact IndiGo's grievance team, but said customer support did not respond. "I tried for 3 days, but neither my ticket was rescheduled nor did the grievance contact number respond," she said, reported ANI. "We finally booked a ticket on Air India two days ago, which cost us Rs25,800," the passenger said, adding that they are still waiting for IndiGo to refund the original fare. "We are trying, but there has been no refund yet," she further added. Meanwhile, air travel across India has been in chaos with widespread IndiGo flight disruptions on Monday, and major airports across the country reported extensive cancellations. Ahmedabad Airport reported 18 IndiGo cancellations by 8 AM, including nine arrivals and nine departures. However, airport authorities confirmed that terminal and airside operations remained smooth and that passenger facilitation was being handled. 21 IndiGo flights operated during this period, including seven arrivals and 14 departures. At Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), a total of 127 IndiGo flights were cancelled, with 65 arrivals and 62 departures affected. Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) also saw a severe impact, with 77 IndiGo flights disrupted as of today, including 38 arrivals and 39 departures cancelled, according to airport authorities, reported ANI. Furthermore, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) recorded the highest number of cancellations so far today, with 75 departures and 59 arrivals, 134 flights in total, being called off. The large-scale disruptions prompted Delhi Airport to issue an advisory urging passengers to check their latest flight status before leaving for the airport. Meanwhile, passengers at Chennai International Airport, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and Gujarat's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Assam's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport were stranded in terminal areas as they waited for updates on their flights. Jaipur International Airport also reported multiple IndiGo cancellations, including flights to Hyderabad, Chennai, and Delhi. However, airport authorities confirmed that the situation remained calm, with no major issues reported among passengers despite the cancellations. (With ANI inputs)
08 December,2025 12:41 PM IST | Guwahati | mid-day online correspondentDelhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 318 as of 7 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A dense layer of smog covered several parts of the city, showing little to no improvement in the hazardous air. Areas such as Anand Vihar, India Gate, Dwarka, and ITO reported thick haze early in the morning, reducing visibility significantly. The CPCB noted that large sections of the National Capital continued to experience very poor air quality, reported news agency ANI. The Air Quality Index around the ITO area is 354, categorised as 'Very Poor'. At the same time, India Gate and Kartavya Path were barely visible this morning, shrouded by a thick layer of smog, as the air quality in the national capital remained hazardous. The toxic air persisted a day after Delhi recorded an AQI of 397, also in the 'very poor' range, reported ANI. Several other key stations, including Ashok Vihar (338), Bawana (368), Burari (327), Chandani Chowk (321), and Dwarka (325), remained in the "very poor" category, highlighting the widespread nature of pollution across Delhi. According to AQI categorisation, 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. According to CPCB, the AQI, which ranges from 0 to 500, is divided into six categories, each reflecting the level of pollution and associated health risks. An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as "Good", indicating minimal or no health impact. AQI levels from 51 to 100 fall into the "Satisfactory" category, where air quality remains acceptable, though sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues may experience slight discomfort. The "Moderate" category, ranging from 101 to 200, signals increasing pollution levels that can trigger breathing difficulties among people with asthma, lung conditions, or heart diseases. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "Poor", a range in which prolonged exposure can cause breathing discomfort to most people, not just those with pre-existing health issues. This level has become increasingly common in several parts of the capital during winter. Levels between 301 and 400 are marked as "Very Poor", posing a risk of respiratory illnesses even to healthy individuals when exposure continues for long periods. The most hazardous category, "Severe," includes AQI values from 401 to 500. At this stage, air quality becomes dangerous for everyone. (With ANI inputs)
08 December,2025 12:39 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentMembers of the Maharashtra assembly on Monday recited the full version of 'Vande Mataram' on the opening day of the legislature's winter session in Nagpur, marking the 150th anniversary of the national song, reported news agency PTI. The House proceedings began with the customary recital of the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, followed by 'Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha', the official state song. Speaker Rahul Narwekar said, "It is a tradition of the legislature to recite the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram on the first day of every session. However, as this year marks 150 years since its composition, the House will recite the entire song," reported PTI. The legislators then recited the full song. Notably, the Lok Sabha has listed 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' on Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate. The debate in Parliament is part of the year-long celebrations on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit out at the Congress, accusing it of removing key stanzas from the song in 1937 and sowing the seeds of partition. On November 7, PM Modi launched year-long celebrations to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram, aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song's significance. During the assembly session, Narwekar also announced the names Chainsukh Sancheti, Kishor Patil, Rahul Patil, Uttamrao Jankar, Ramdas Masram, Sameer Kunawar and Saroj Ahire as presiding officers. They will chair proceedings in the speaker's absence, reported PTI. Decision on LoPs in both Houses to be taken by presiding officers, govt has no role: Fadnavis Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the Opposition was directionless and asserted the decision to appoint Leader of Opposition in the assembly and council comes under the jurisdiction of the respective presiding officers. The state government has no say in it, he said addressing a press conference in Nagpur on the eve of the Winter session of the state legislature. Whatever decision is taken by the presiding officers of both Houses is acceptable to his government, the CM emphasised. "The Opposition's press conference appeared full of frustration and theatrics. It is not the government's role to announce the Leader of Opposition. Only the Speaker and the Council Chairman have the authority to do so," the CM pointed out. (With inputs from PTI)
08 December,2025 11:58 AM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentGoa Police on Monday issued a lookout notice against absconding nightclub owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra of 'Birch by Romeo Lane'. According to officials, both the accused reportedly left Goa shortly after the incident and are suspected of attempting to leave the country. As a precautionary measure, all airports and police stations across the country have been alerted. Goa Police stated that due to strong suspicion that the duo may try to flee abroad, the lookout notice was necessary. Meanwhile, four arrested individuals connected to the case were produced before the Bardez District Court late on Sunday night. The court remanded all four managers to six days of police custody. They are currently lodged at the Anjuna Police Station lock-up and have been questioned for nearly eight hours regarding the fire incident and the whereabouts of the missing owners. In a related development, the Goa Police, with assistance from the Delhi Police, detained a man identified as Bhola in connection with the absconding owners. Investigators are examining his links to the nightclub and to Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra. Delhi Police are coordinating closely with their Goa counterparts as part of the ongoing probe. Additionally, the individual responsible for club operations has also been detained. A police team travelled from Goa to Delhi to take Bhola into custody, and he is now being transported back to Goa for further investigation. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed distress and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured. A fire at Arpora's Birch by Romeo Lane has claimed 25 lives, including four tourists and 14 staff members. The identities of seven victims are yet to be confirmed. Six people were injured and are undergoing treatment. In a post on X, PM Modi had said, "The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected." "An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Arpora, Goa. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The blaze erupted around Sunday midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane, a club in the bustling Baga area that draws large crowds due to its proximity to one of Goa's most frequented beaches. According to police officials, the inferno is suspected to have been triggered by a cylinder explosion inside the premises. The sudden blast is believed to have left little time for those inside, many of them staff members, to escape. Fire tenders from multiple stations were immediately deployed, and firefighters battled the flames well into the early hours of Sunday. Rescue teams continued their efforts until dawn, sifting through debris in search of survivors and attempting to control residual hotspots. Authorities confirmed that a significant number of the deceased were employees working at the club when the incident occurred. Senior officials, including the Director General of Police and teams from North Goa district, arrived at the site shortly after the fire was reported to coordinate rescue and relief operations. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
08 December,2025 11:32 AM IST | New Delhi [India] | IANSOver 250 IndiGo flights were cancelled from Delhi and Bengaluru airports on Monday as the disruptions in the crisis-hit airline's flight operations entered the seventh day, sources told PTI. In another development, aviation safety regulator DGCA in an order on Sunday late evening extended the time by Monday 6 pm for IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras to submit reply to its show cause notice over the ongoing disruptions in the airline's operations. In the notices issued to Elbers and Porqueras on Saturday, the regulator said the large-scale operational failures pointed to significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management, and asked them to submit their replies within 24 hours. IndiGo has cancelled 251 flights from Delhi and Bengaluru airports on Monday, sources told PTI. At the Delhi airport, 134 flights were cancelled -- 75 departures and 59 arrivals -- while at the Bengaluru airport, the carrier cancelled 117 services -- 65 arrivals and 62 departures, they said, reported PTI. IndIGo has been facing heat from both the government and the passengers for cancelling hundreds of flights since December 2, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' new flight duty and regulations norms, which resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports pan-India. For the first three days the airline, which is partially owned by Rahul Bhatia, failed to acknowledge the huge number of cancellations and it was only Friday when it cancelled 1,600 flights (Friday), a record in Indian aviation history that CEO Elbers released a video apologising for the major inconvenience caused to passengers due to the disruptions, reported PTI. In the message, he admitted that the airline was cancelling a large number of flights, but did not mention that it would cancel 1,600 flights on that particular day. The new norms, applicable for all domestic carriers, have come into force in two phases - July 1 and November 1 this year. IndiGo has already temporarily secured major relaxations in the second phase norms till February 10. The latest FDTL norms, which entail increased weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extended night hours, and limiting the number of night landings to only two, as against six earlier, were initially opposed by domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Tata Group-owned Air India, reported PTI. But they were subsequently rolled out by the DGCA following the Delhi High Court's directives, albeit with a delay of over one year, in a phased manner, and with certain variations for airlines like IndiGo and Air India, reported PTI. The norms were originally to be put in place from March 2024, but airlines, including IndiGo, sought a step-by-step implementation, citing additional crew requirements. (With inputs from PTI)
08 December,2025 10:39 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFour people, including three General Managers and one Bar Manager, who were arrested in connection with the fire at the restaurant in North Goa's Arpora, have been remanded to the custody of the State Police by a local court, reported news agency ANI. At least 25 people lost their lives in the blaze that erupted in the early hours of Sunday, with four of them identified as tourists and 14 others as staff members of the restaurant. Emergency teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control, reported ANI. Those arrested include Rajiv Modak, 49, Chief General Manager, a native of RK Puram, New Delhi; Priyanshu Thakur, 32, Gate Manager, from Malviya Nagar, New Delhi; Rajveer Singhania, 32, Bar Manager, from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh; and Vivek Singh, 27, General Manager, from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, reported ANI. Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar said an FIR has been registered against the owners, Saurav Luthra and Gaurav Luthra. According to the Goa police, a total of 25 bodies were shifted to GMC Bambolim and the process of identifying the bodies is underway, and all efforts are being made to establish the identities at the earliest. "Of the six injured persons, one has been discharged, while five continue to remain admitted and are under treatment," the police said. "An offence has been registered at Anjuna Police Station u/s 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), 287 r/w 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The senior Police officers of Goa police are camping at Anjuna police station and closely monitoring the investigation. Postmortem examination of the 17 bodies held. Five bodies have been handed over to the relatives for final religious rites," the Goa police added, reported ANI. Meanwhile, an eyewitness claimed that the blaze could have erupted from a spark on their wooden roof after a pyro gun was shot. Speaking to ANI, an eyewitness said, "The dancer was entertaining everyone and songs were being played. In between, a pyro gun was shot, and I believe because of it, there was a spark on their wooden roof. People thought it would be taken care of, but within two minutes, the fire spread and people could not come out. They have their kitchen in the basement, and there is no scope of exit." Another eyewitness who sustained injuries said that the incident took place around midnight when the party was going on. "The incident took place around midnight. Almost all the guests managed to come out. There were some people trapped inside. I came here around 11 pm. Some people tried to control the fire. Around 70-80 people were present there. There was only one exit from where everyone came out," the eyewitness told ANI. On Sunday, postmortem examinations were completed on 17 victims of the Arpora nightclub fire. (With inputs from ANI)
08 December,2025 10:33 AM IST | Arpora | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off a special discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday to mark 150 years of 'Vande Mataram' as part of an exercise that promises to highlight many lesser-known facets related to the patriotic song, reported news agency IANS. PM Modi is also likely to highlight the contribution of the song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875, to the freedom struggle, its historical significance and current relevance, reported IANS. PM Modi’s thoughts about Vande Mataram are keenly awaited by the Opposition members, as well as last month, during an event to commemorate the song’s anniversary, he accused the Congress of “removing important stanzas” from the original song in the 1937 session of the party in Faizabad. PM Modi had said that the Congress’s decision sowed the seeds of Partition and dissected the national song into pieces. The Congress, however, claimed the decision was based on the advice of Rabindranath Tagore and amounted to the accommodation of feelings of members from other communities and faiths. The discussion on Vande Mataram in the Rajya Sabha is likely to be initiated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. As per the schedule related to the Vande Mataram debate, the ruling NDA members have been allotted three hours out of the total 10 hours earmarked in Lok Sabha for it. Earlier, a political confrontation erupted just before the start of the Winter Session as the Rajya Sabha Secretariat reiterated that MPs must refrain from using expressions such as 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind' inside Parliament to maintain decorum. The Opposition accused the BJP-led NDA of being uncomfortable with symbols of India's Independence and unity. The Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to continue till December 19, and the discussion on ‘Vande Mataram’ is likely to be a noisy one in the coming days due to differences in opinion about the song between the treasury and opposition benches. Lok Sabha has listed 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' on Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to be the second speaker in the debate that will also see the participation of Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among other members. (With inputs from IANS)
08 December,2025 10:14 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
