DMK MP A. Raja has sparked a major controversy after claiming in Parliament and later before the media that Vande Mataram contains verses calling for the destruction of Muslims, prompting demands for his arrest under the newly passed Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
During the Lok Sabha debate on the Bill, Raja opposed the legislation, describing it as a “joke, fraud and foul play” while moving amendments.
He further said, “Partition of India took place due to VD Savarakar and Vande Mataram. This is dangerous to the country.”
“Partition of India took place due to VD Savarkar and Vande Mataram.
This is dangerous for our country.
It is nothing but just joke and foreplay.”
– DMK’s A Raja while moving amendment in Lok Sabha to Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill 2026 pic.twitter.com/2LSenfqIfE
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) July 30, 2026
However, his microphone was cut off during his speech.
Speaking to PTI outside Parliament, he said, “They have enacted a law declaring ‘Vande Mataram’ the national song and making it an offense to fail to sing it or to show it disrespect. The reason they cite for this, claiming that the song was fully approved by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, is false. That is a fraud. That is not the truth. What was accepted in the Constituent Assembly was the first 2 stanzas alone. There are no comments against the Muslims. Since the other stanzas is fully anti-Muslim, anti-religion, it was decided back then itself that this was not suitable for this nation. Moreover, when the Constituent Assembly was concluding, on the last day, the song that was sung had only 2 stanzas. So going against it and making a law is unconstitutional.”
“After 2 stanzas Vande Mataram’s lyrics are against Muslims, so not suitable for this nation, it is unconstitutional.”
– DMK MP A Raja on bill passed in Lok Sabha to prevent insult to national song Vande Mataram pic.twitter.com/Iyb45UBYJX
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) July 30, 2026
Later, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Raja defended his opposition to the Bill and drew a comparison between the Tamil Thai Vazhthu and Vande Mataram.
He said, “You should see one thing. Just understand what their culture is like. Kalaignar took ‘Neerarum Kadaludutha’ from Manonmaniam Sundaranar’s song. Pay attention to this. In the Neerarum Kadaludutha song, a line appears. ‘Aariyam pol ulaga vazhakku azhithu ozhindhu sidhaya un sirilamai’ – this is true. Aaryam does not exist today. Sanskrit does not exist today. But still Kalaignar is a cultured person. In the DMK rule, when we brought in the Tamil song, he felt these lines are against Aryans, this is against a community, this is against Sanskrit. He felt why should we call it a dead language. Even if it was dead, we need not tell it, it will hurt someone. That kind of culture Kalaignar and DMK had. So in the Neerarum Kadaludutha song, ‘Aariyam pol ulaga vazhakku azhithu ozhindhu sidhaya un sirilamai’ was removed. We removed it and today we are singing that only. This is Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu. Kalaignar brought this. Kalaignar had culture, DMK had culture and politesse, so did that government. But now, you are bringing one song. Just like how in the Neerarum Kadaludutha song, a race, a language, Sanskrit is described as completely destroyed and wiped out, same way in this song you are calling for the destruction and wiping out of Muslims. You are calling them bad. So, what is your problem in removing those verses? Kalaignar removed it, right? Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, praise Tamil, why are you calling for destruction of Aaryam? So, the culture, politesse and maturity that Kalaignar had doesn’t seem to be present in this government. In the song you are bringing, why not remove those verses like we did in Neerarum Kadaludutha song? This is the difference between Kalaignar and these people, between DMK and BJP.”
He further alleged that the legislation was part of a broader ideological agenda.
“They are bringing this law to make everything Hindu, to be against Christians and Muslims. I told you in the beginning. In this country, they are changing Indian nationalism to Hindu nationalism and Muslim nationalism – these words were used by Savarkar. Then this song came up. When I said this, they cut off the microphone. They did not let me speak about the corrections I had submitted. They panicked. They know it is the truth. In the Constituent Assembly, the entire song was never accepted. They came to realise that the last day the Vande Mataram song was sung had only 2 stanzas not 4. They could not withstand it and hurriedly passed it (the Bill).”
Raja’s remarks drew sharp criticism as he falsely attributed anti-Muslim content to Vande Mataram and that it attempted to incite communal tensions.
யாருடைய மனதும் புண்படக் கூடாது என்று தமிழ்த்தாய் வாழ்த்து பாடலில் இருந்து அந்த இரண்டு வரிகளை தவிர்த்தோம்.. கலைஞருக்கு இருந்த நாகரீகம் பாஜக அரசுக்கு இல்லை.. காவிமயமாக்க பார்க்கிறார்கள்” – மக்களவையில் வந்தே மாதரம் மசோதா விவாதத்தின் போது தனது மைக் ஆஃப் செய்யப்பட்டது குறித்து ஆ.ராசா… pic.twitter.com/ppL0gqmozO
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) July 30, 2026
Raja’s remarks have triggered demands for his arrest under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as he falsely attributed anti-Muslim content to Vande Mataram, even though the national song contains no reference to Muslims or Islam. His remarks seemed to amount to defaming the national song and had the potential to incite communal tensions.
A. Raja must be arrested!
@dmk_raja ‘s remarks are highly condemnable. “Just as the world regards a language (Sanskrit) as dead and outdated like the Aryan language, we have removed some lines from the Tamil Thai Vazhthu (Tamil Mother praise) song, but in the national song… https://t.co/bdsJBmD15I
— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) July 30, 2026
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