Parliament started a special day-long discussion on the 150-year journey of Vande Mataram as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the debate in the Lok Sabha. He said it was a proud moment for the country to look back on a song that had guided the freedom struggle and shaped national feeling.

The Prime Minister thanked all members for joining what he called an important shared discussion and said that future generations would learn from the ideas presented in the House. Calling Vande Mataram a mantra, he said it had given strength, inspiration, and a spirit of sacrifice to those who fought colonial rule. He added that the country was observing several historic moments, including 75 years of the Constitution and the anniversaries of Sardar Patel, Birsa Munda, Guru Teg Bahadur ji, and that the 150-year mark of Vande Mataram was part of this wider period of reflection.

Modi said the song was written during a time when the British were putting pressure on Indians and the national song became a response to that control. He called it a symbol of unity that pushed back against colonial attempts to divide Indian society, saying that British policies in Bengal had tried to deepen differences but the feeling of Vande Mataram brought people together. He added that while the British wanted Indians to sing God Save the Queen, the country found its own voice in Vande Mataram.

He described the chant as more than a patriotic call and said it was a war cry of the freedom movement that stirred courage and resistance. He said there was no global example that matched the emotional effect the song created among people who lived under foreign rule. He said its message carried hope during the hardest years of slavery.

During his address, he briefly paused to reply to an Opposition MP who kept shouting over his remarks and he asked the member, "Dada, tabiyat thik hai na, is umar mein ho jata hai kabhi", before he continued with his speech.

The Prime Minister also said that Mahatma Gandhi had placed Vande Mataram on the same level as the National Anthem and had recognised its role in shaping national resolve.

In one of the sharpest political points of his speech, Modi accused former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of agreeing with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and said Congress leaders had compromised on the national song. He said the party had reduced Vande Mataram and weakened its place in national life and he referred to it as tukde tukde of the national song.

He ended his address by saying that the long journey of Vande Mataram had moved through many stages, yet it continued to reflect the spirit of India and would keep inspiring the nation in the years to come.