Supreme Court to hear petitions on 6 Vande Mataram stanzas
India
The Supreme Court is set to review petitions challenging the government's new rule that everyone must sing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, instead of just two.
The petitioners, Bhimrao Duryodhan Borkar and ex-IAS officer Balakrishnan Sathyabhama Mavoji, say this move threatens freedom of conscience and goes against India's secular values.
The hearing is scheduled for November 30.
Vande Mataram orders face bias allegations
The Home Ministry orders dated January 28 and July 9, 2026, has stirred debate, with Borkar arguing some lines are anti-Muslim and Mavoji saying it pushes a sectarian identity.
This comes as the Supreme Court recently said that a conscientious objector should not be punished for refusing to sing Vande Mataram, a decision that could shape what happens next.