Shashi Tharoor questions six-minute standing protocol for Vande Mataram, national anthem

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending statutory protection under the law to the national song Vande Mataram. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, however, has raised questions over the practical implications of requiring the full rendition of the song at official functions.

In a post on social media on Tuesday, Tharoor said the amendment had been passed by Parliament without discussion and now requires the full version of the National Song to be sung at the beginning and end of official functions, in addition to the National Anthem.

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Tharoor said he respected both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana, adding that he could sing the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, but not the remaining four. He said those additional stanzas had not been required at official functions until now.

The Congress MP then raised what he described as a practical concern over the amount of time audiences would have to stand during official programmes.

According to Tharoor, Jana Gana Mana requires audiences to stand respectfully and focus their attention for about 52 seconds. The full rendition of Vande Mataram, he said, takes around three minutes and 10 seconds.

He further pointed to the situation in Tamil Nadu, saying the state had decided that both the National Song and National Anthem would be preceded by the Tamil state song, which takes another two minutes.

"Do we really expect audiences to stand still and respectfully for six minutes before and after every function, a total of 12 extra minutes?" Tharoor asked.

He questioned whether respect and patience could be ensured through legislation, arguing that the attempt to promote greater respect for the National Song could potentially produce the opposite result.

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The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24 and seeks to extend to Vande Mataram the same legal protection available to the National Anthem under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

Parliament passed the legislation during the Monsoon Session, with the Rajya Sabha clearing it on July 29 and the Lok Sabha passing it on July 30. The legislation seeks to make intentionally preventing the singing of the National Song or causing disturbance to an assembly engaged in its singing punishable under the law.

The amendment provides for penalties similar to those applicable to offences involving the National Anthem, including imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.

The legislation is part of the government's broader efforts to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram. The Centre has already announced year-long commemorative activities running from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026.

Tharoor's latest intervention focuses primarily on the practical aspect of the new protocol, particularly the duration of official ceremonies and the expectation that audiences remain standing during multiple songs. His remarks come ahead of Independence Day, when Vande Mataram is set to feature prominently in official celebrations.