Union Home Minister Amit Shah firmly rebutted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s criticism over the ongoing parliamentary discussion on Vande Mataram, asserting that the national song transcends electoral politics and holds significance beyond any regional context.

Shah says linking Vande Mataram to Bengal polls is “unfortunate”

Responding to Priyanka Gandhi’s allegation that the government initiated the discussion with an eye on next year’s Bengal polls, Shah said the national song belongs to the entire nation and has been a symbol of courage for freedom fighters across the world.

He remarked that questioning the relevance of the debate reflects a lack of understanding of the song’s historic and emotional value. According to him, the contribution of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya should not be viewed through a political lens.

Shah emphasised that the discussion was necessary when the song was written, during Independence, today, and even in 2047.

Shah targets Nehru, Indira Gandhi over past decisions

The Home Minister also criticised former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, alleging that appeasement politics led to restricting Vande Mataram to two stanzas. He claimed that decisions taken then contributed to the political climate that eventually resulted in Partition.

Shah further said that during the Emergency, those who raised the Vande Mataram slogan were imprisoned, reflecting suppression of democratic voices.

Kharge responds, starts speech with Vande Mataram

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge countered Shah’s remarks, beginning his speech with Vande Mataram and reminding the House that the Congress popularised the slogan during the freedom struggle.

He asked why Nehru was being singled out when the Congress Working Committee, not just Nehru, approved singing only the first two stanzas at national events in 1937.

Kharge also accused the government of pushing the debate to divert attention from current issues and said the true tribute to the nation would be constructive parliamentary work.

Starlink has clarified that the India pricing briefly visible on its website on Monday was the result of a configuration error, stressing that the figures were only dummy data and not the final cost for Indian customers.

Starlink fixes website error after India pricing appears briefly

The satellite-based internet service displayed monthly pricing of ₹8,600 and a hardware kit cost of ₹34,000 before the company removed the information. Starlink said the numbers were unintentionally visible due to a glitch and do not represent its official India pricing.

Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s Vice President and Senior Director of Business Operations at SpaceX, said in a post on X that the India website is not yet live and that service pricing has not been announced. She reiterated that Starlink is currently not accepting orders from customers in India.

Dreyer added that teams are working to secure final government approvals to begin services in India, and the website will go live only after this process is completed.

Maharashtra signs LoI with Starlink for satellite-based connectivity

Even as commercial rollout details remain pending, Starlink’s India preparations appear to be moving ahead. Recent hiring activity in Bengaluru indicates strengthening operations, with roles announced across payments, accounting, treasury and taxation.

Separately, the Maharashtra government has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited to deploy satellite-based internet services for government institutions and underserved districts including Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Dharashiv and Washim.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the initiative marks Maharashtra as the first Indian state to formally collaborate with Starlink for remote connectivity solutions.

The Lok Sabha is set to witness an extended discussion on electoral reforms today, with a full 10-hour window allocated to examine several key issues linked to India’s voting and election management processes. The time has been evenly distributed between the ruling bloc and the Opposition, reflecting the importance and sensitivity of the deliberation.

Debate to begin at 1 pm

The discussion, scheduled to start at 1:00 pm, will cover subjects ranging from the role and accountability of the Election Commission to campaign finance transparency, the scrutiny of candidates with criminal backgrounds, the use of electronic voting machines and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The government argues that the exercise aims to improve electoral integrity, while the Opposition has indicated it will raise concerns over fairness and proposals such as “One Nation, One Election.”

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will initiate the debate. Among the BJP speakers listed are Nishikant Dubey, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Sanjay Jaiswal and PP Chaudhary, who also heads the Joint Parliamentary Committee studying the “One Nation, One Election” proposal.

Opposition lines up senior speakers

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will front the Congress’s charge. He has frequently criticised both the Election Commission and the ruling party in recent months. Other Congress MPs slated to speak include KC Venugopal, Manish Tewari, Varsha Gaikwad, Mohammed Jawed, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Isa Khan, Ravi Mallu, Imran Masood, Gowal Padvi and Jyotimani. The party has issued a whip asking all its MPs to remain present.

Alliance partners will also contribute to the debate, with the Shiv Sena represented by Srikant Shinde and Naresh Mhaske. LJP (Ram Vilas) member Arun Bharati and TDP MPs Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and GM Harish Balayogi are also scheduled to participate.

The government is expected to reply on December 10, with Meghwal responding on behalf of the Centre.