Cabinet clears proposal to make insult to ‘Vande Mataram’ a punishable offence: Report

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared an amendment to the 1971 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act to make any insult or obstruction to the singing of the national song Vande Mataram a punishable offence, The Hindu quoted an unidentified government official as saying.

At present, the 1971 Act states that insults to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, the national flag and the Constitution are punishable by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine or both.

During the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a proposal was cleared to amend Section 3 of the Act to include Vande Mataram in this list and make any insult or obstruction to the singing of the national song a cognisable offence, The Times of India reported.

Section 3 states that anyone who “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 fine, or with both”.

The decision comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party defeated the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, ending the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

It also comes after the Union home minister on January 28 directed that all six stanzas of the Vande Mataram be sung...

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