President Droupadi Murmu Grants Assent To Law Penalising Obstruction To Vande Mataram Singing

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has granted assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026. With this amendment, the scope of penal provisions under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, is expanded to cover the National Song (Vande Mataram) alongside the National Anthem.

Both Houses of Parliament passed the amendment during the ongoing Monsoon session. Under the amendment, any person who intentionally prevents the singing of the National Anthem or the National Song, or causes disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term extending up to three years, or with a fine, or with both, Live Law reported.

When was the bill passed

Introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2026, by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bill was passed by both Houses shortly afterwards, on July 29 and 30.

Before the amendment, Section 3 criminalised only the intentional prevention of the singing of the National Anthem or causing disturbance to an assembly engaged in its singing. The amendment extends the same statutory protection to the National Song, bringing both on an equal footing for the purposes of the penal provision.

Maximum sentence remains unchanged

The prescribed maximum sentence remains unchanged and is imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine, or both.