Parliament Debates 150th Anniversary of Vande Mataram: PM Modi and Congress Leaders Clash Over Historical Legacy and National Unity
There will be a special discussion about the 150th Anniversary of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha starting tomorrow. The discussion will begin by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in the Lok Sabha.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) December 7: On Monday (8 December 2025) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commence a debate in Parliament regarding the 150th anniversary of the “Vande Mataram”. The Indian National Congress has nominated Gaurav Gogoi – their Deputy Leader in Parliament, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – to present their views during this session.
Vande Mataram Celebration Reflects Political and Cultural Discourses
This debate represents a year-long commemoration of the song “Vande Mataram”, which was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and composed by Jadunath Bhattacharya.
On November 7 2025, the Prime Minister began a year-long celebration of this song to increase awareness among young and student populations about its cultural and historical importance. In his comments about the Congress party's actions, Mr. Modi claimed that they removed verses from the song in 1937, which led to the eventual separation of India and Pakistan.
Scheduled Speeches by Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and J.P. Nadda
Two additional debates about the song are scheduled for the next week; the debate in Rajya Sabha will begin on Tuesday (9th December 2025).
The Lok Sabha has scheduled a "Discussion on the 150th Anniversary of the National Song Vande Mataram" on December 8th and has allotted a total of 10 hours for this debate.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will give a speech on December 9, 2025, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other senior opposition leaders and Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
On December 9, 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will start a discussion in the Rajya Sabha regarding the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, India's national anthem. The second speaker will be Union Health Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha J.P. Nadda.
Prime Minister Modi Opens Year-Long Vande Mataram Debate in Lok Sabha
According to Modi, the Congress party's separation of the national song into pieces is a break from the song's original intent and spirit of unity. Modi has placed the debate on Vande Mataram within the larger framework of his vision for a Developed India (Viksit Bharat), linking the cultural heritage of India with its national economic development.
The celebration of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram is not just a celebration, but also the current political fighting over the song's historical development, the song's religious imagery, and the historical choices of the Indian leadership prior to independence.
Congress Party Responds, Citing Gandhi’s Advocacy for Unity
The Congress Party quickly countered this argument, relying on a specific passage from Mahatma Gandhi's writings (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi - Volume 66, pp. 46). According to the Congress Party, their decision was not a method to divide the nation, but rather a representation of the spirit of unity, demonstrating that there was a collaborative approach for all members of the Congress Party in 1937, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad and other prominent leaders.
The decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), to adopt the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, and call it a 'National Song', as that was the only way the majority of citizens had heard it sung, and also, the first two stanzas did not include the reference to the deity of the Hindu Religion, which had caused many citizens to object.
