New Delhi, 24 July (H.S.): Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha seeking to grant the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ the same status as the national anthem. Nityanand Rai accused the Opposition of misleading people over the bill and said that Dr Rajendra Prasad had stated on January 24, 1950, that the national song Vande Mataram would also receive due respect.

He said that both the national anthem and the national song should be honoured equally.

Proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were disrupted on Friday due to protests by the Opposition. At the beginning of the proceedings, both Houses paid tribute to the soldiers who were martyred in the Kargil War ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26.

Following the tributes, the Lok Sabha was first adjourned until 12 noon and later suspended until Monday. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned first until 12 noon, then until 2 pm, and subsequently until Monday.

When the Rajya Sabha resumed proceedings at 2 pm, Nityanand Rai introduced a bill seeking amendments to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. CPI leader P. Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M) leader John Brittas opposed the introduction of the bill.

Brittas said that Parliament cannot alter the basic constitutional framework through an ordinary law. He argued that the Constituent Assembly, after nearly three years of detailed deliberations, deliberately did not grant equal constitutional status to the national song and the national anthem. If the Constitution makers had intended otherwise, they would have clearly stated it, he said.

He further stated that patriotism and nationalism cannot be created through legislation and alleged that the purpose of the bill appeared to be an attempt to polarise society.

Sandosh Kumar said that Indians should not be divided and that leaders of India’s freedom movement, including Rabindranath Tagore, had understood this. He said this was the reason why only two stanzas of the national anthem were adopted. He opposed the bill, alleging that it was an attempt to create an artificial divide between Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju once again appealed to the Opposition to allow a discussion on the issue concerning students. He said that the Prime Minister had assured the country and social activist Sonam Wangchuk had also ended his hunger strike while demanding dialogue on the matter.

Rijiju appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to explain the importance of discussion to his party colleagues.

Earlier in the morning, tributes were paid to Kargil martyrs as July 26 falls on a Sunday. The Lok Sabha Speaker said that this year marks the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. He stated that the day symbolises the unparalleled valour and supreme sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces.

The House paid homage to the brave soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who displayed extraordinary courage and unwavering determination despite extreme mountainous terrain, difficult circumstances and adverse weather conditions, and sacrificed their lives to protect the nation’s unity and sovereignty.

The Rajya Sabha also paid tribute to the Kargil war heroes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar