Delhi, Sept. 22: The Supreme Court has given the Centre two weeks to respond to a plea challenging legal provisions linked to the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram.
A three judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, heard the matter on Tuesday.
Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna has challenged the Centre’s move concerning the singing of all six stanzas of the national song.
The court indicated that it would examine the legal consequences of refusing to sing the full version. It also referred to constitutional protections under Articles 25 and 26.
Supreme Court Examines Punishment for Refusing Vande Mataram
Krishna’s petition argues that the later stanzas contain references to Hindu deities.
He has contended that making the singing of those portions mandatory could affect religious freedom and the secular character of the Constitution.
The court, however, did not enter into the question of whether Vande Mataram should be sung in two or all six stanzas at this stage.
Instead, the bench focused on the legal and constitutional implications of penal provisions connected with the national song.
The proceedings also referred to the Supreme Court’s 1986 Bijoe Emmanuel judgment, which dealt with students who respectfully declined to sing the National Anthem on religious grounds.
The Centre had recently amended the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act to include provisions concerning the National Song.
The petition has also questioned the scope and implementation of these provisions, including the possibility of criminal action against people who do not comply.
The Supreme Court has sought the Centre’s response on these issues and granted it two weeks to respond.
The court’s latest proceedings do not amount to a final ruling on whether all six stanzas of Vande Mataram can or cannot be made mandatory.
The matter will be considered further after the Centre files its response.
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