Insulting Vande Mataram Can Land You In Jail. Centre's Big Move After Bengal Win

Insulting 'Vande Mataram' will soon land you in a prison, as the Centre has decided to accord the national song a status equal to that of the national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana', during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The cabinet has approved a proposal to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Following the amendment to Section 3 of the Act, 'Vande Mataram' - penned by Bengal icon Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay - will enjoy a status equivalent to that of the national anthem.

Currently, the law provides for imprisonment, a fine, or both, for disrupting the singing of the national anthem. A similar punishment is for insulting the national flag or the constitution.

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"Whoever intentionally prevents the singing of the Indian National Anthem or causes disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with a fine, or with both," as per the present rules.

If an individual commits the same offence again, they face a minimum imprisonment of one year.

Prior to this, in 2005, the law was amended to prohibit the disrespectful use of the tricolor, such as wearing it below the waist or printing it on handkerchiefs, cushions, etc.

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The cabinet decision came a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scripted history in Bengal by winning the assembly elections for the first time. The party won 207 of the state's 294 seats, reducing Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress to 80.

Last December, a special discussion was held in Parliament on the occasion of the '150th Year of Vande Mataram'. During the session, a demand was raised to accord 'Vande Mataram' a status equal to that of the national anthem.