Vande Mataram Case: SC Defers 2 vs 6 Stanzas Issue, Examines Punishment
frame and share 
Supreme Court To Examine If Refusing To Sing National Song Can Be Punishable
New Delhi, September 22: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine whether refusing to sing India’s National Song, “Vande Mataram,” can be made a punishable offence. However, the court declined to consider at this stage whether the National Song should comprise two stanzas or be extended to six.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, referred to the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment in Bijoe Emanuel, which established that a person cannot be punished for refusing to sing the National Anthem in circumstances protected by law.
The court indicated that the legal principle laid down in that judgment continues to hold good. The Centre has been asked to file its response to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The PIL challenges both the proposed extension of the National Song from two to six stanzas and the provision seeking to make refusal to sing it punishable.
The Supreme Court’s proceedings therefore focus, for now, on the legal question of whether non-singing can attract punishment, rather than deciding the number of stanzas that should constitute the National Song.
