Vande Mataram Bill passed from Parliament

Parliament on Thursday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, extending legal protection to national song Vande Mataram against insult and placing it on a par with the national anthem.During a brief discussion in the Lok Sabha, the DMK opposed the bill, accusing the government of “dividing” the country by imposing the national song.Defending the bill, the BJP said the amendment would ensure that people can pay respect to Vande Mataram without hindrance.“For Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, we need the complete (all six stanzas) Vande Mataram song,” said minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai.