Guwahati: Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev backed the return of two excluded Vande Mataram verses on July 30. She argued that true secularism demands equal respect for every faith. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently moved to restore the sections.
Lawmakers previously removed the verses because they referenced Goddess Durga. Some groups complained they did not worship the deity. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress leadership agreed to cut the lines during that era. Now, Dev points to the current BJP manifesto as a reason for full inclusion.
"However, if one truly claims to be secular, as the BJP manifesto states, then one must respect every religion," Dev said. She spoke as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sparked heated debate in the house. This bill puts the national song under the legal umbrella covering disrespect toward national symbols.
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