PM Modi to open Vande Mataram debate in Lok Sabha Decmber 8; Amit Shah to lead next day in Rajya Sabha

On the debate on election reforms, sources said, the discussion will cover all aspects of the broad subject and will not be confined only on the limited subject of the SIR.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha on December 8 while Home Minister Amit Shah will begin the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on December 9, sources said.

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, is likely to be held in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and 10 while the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the issue is likely to take place on December 10 and 11.

Sources privy to the deliberations confirmed that Prime Minister Modi will initiate the debate on National Song Vande Mataram at noon in the Lower House while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several other ministers will also participate in the day-long debate.

The last speaker in the Lok Sabha debate will be someone from the ruling BJP, the sources said.

In the Rajya Sabha, the home minister will initiate the discussion while Leader of the Upper House J P Nadda will also take part during the debate.

On the debate on election reforms, the sources said, the discussion will cover all aspects of the broad subject and will not be confined only on the limited subject of the SIR.

"Please note that the debate will be on the subject of election reforms and not just on the SIR or electoral reforms," a source said.

The decisions on holding the debates on the two subjects were taken after an all-party meeting and the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the respective House, which ended the logjam prevailing in both Houses over the opposition's demand to discuss the SIR of electoral rolls.

The proceedings of the first two days of the Winter Session starting on December 1 were disrupted due to the opposition's protests on the SIR leading to repeated adjournments. The last session was a virtual washout over the demand by the opposition for a debate on the SIR, then being held in Bihar.

The EC had announced SIR in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal will go to the polls in 2026. In Assam, where also polls are due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls was announced separately. It is being called 'Special Revision'.

Nearly 51 crore electors will be covered in the massive voters' list cleanup exercise.

The primary aim of the SIR is to weed out foreign illegal immigrants by checking their place of birth.

The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal immigrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1, approved nationwide celebrations to commemorate 150 years of the national song 'Vande Mataram', recognising its historic role in India's freedom struggle.

The celebrations are aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song's significance through country-wide initiatives.

The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana.