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.

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.

The Centre has directed IndiGo to reduce its daily flight operations by 5%, marking the most stringent corrective step yet in the ongoing aviation disruption. Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the airline’s winter schedule will be curtailed, with its vacated slots potentially allocated to other carriers.

DGCA orders reduction in IndiGo’s daily operations

According to the minister, IndiGo currently operates around 2,200 flights each day. With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation instructing a 5% cut, nearly 115 flights will be removed from daily operations. He said the government intends to set an example for all airlines to ensure strict compliance with safety and operational norms.

The minister also said the airline has processed refunds worth ₹745 crore for more than 7.30 lakh cancelled PNRs between December 1 and December 8.

“Internal crisis” behind mass cancellations

Naidu told the Rajya Sabha that the large-scale cancellations seen over the past week were triggered by IndiGo’s “internal crisis” as new passenger safety regulations came into effect. The updated norms, designed to tackle pilot fatigue by increasing mandatory rest time, required airlines to enhance crew strength. IndiGo reportedly fell short, resulting in significant disruptions.

Passengers left stranded as safety rules strain airline workforce

With over 2,200 flights scheduled daily and a traditional model built on minimising downtime, IndiGo struggled to meet staffing needs under the revised safety standards. As delays and cancellations mounted, the DGCA temporarily relaxed the new norms to stabilise operations.

Opposition walkout as government faces heat

While the government reiterated its commitment to passenger welfare and safety, the Opposition staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction with the minister’s explanation. The Centre maintains it aims to bring more competition into the aviation sector, asserting India has the potential to sustain five major airlines.