PM Modi to initiate debate on Vande Mataram in LS on Monday

Prime Minister Modi will initiate a 10-hour debate in Lok Sabha on Monday to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, highlighting unknown facets of the national song, with participation from key ministers and leaders

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday, which is expected to bring to light several important and previously unknown facets about the national song.

Lok Sabha has listed ‘Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram’ on Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to be the second speaker in the debate that will also see the participation of Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among other members.

The debate in Parliament is part of the year-long celebrations on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya.

Prime Minister Modi had hit out at the Congress, accusing it of removing key stanzas from the song in 1937 and sowing the seeds of partition.

On November 7, Modi launched year-long celebrations to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song’s significance.

“Many important and unknown facets related to Vande Mataram will come out in front of the nation during the debate,” officials said.

Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate the discussion in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and Health Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha J P Nadda will be the second speaker.

Lok Sabha will also take up the debate on election reforms, which will cover all aspects of the contentious subject, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Rajya Sabha will take up the debate on election reforms on Wednesday and Thursday.

The proceedings on the first two days of the Winter session that started on December 1 were disrupted due to the opposition’s protests on the SIR leading to repeated adjournments.

The Monsoon session of Parliament was a virtual washout over the demand by the opposition for a debate on the SIR, then being held in Bihar.