New Delhi, Dec 9: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the opposition for questioning the need for the discussion on Vande Mataram to mark the 150 years of its formation and mentioned that the act of “avoiding discussion is not new”.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram, HM Shah said, “Yesterday, many Congress members were questioning the need for the discussion on Vande Mataram and were calling it a political strategy and a way of diverting from the issues. No one is scared of discussions on the country’s issues; we are not the ones who boycott the Parliamentary sessions. If someone wants to discuss, they need to stop boycotting. All discussions will take place then; we are not scared of anything; we are not trying to hide anything. We are ready for debate on any issue.”

Stressing that the discussion is important because the country is marking the 150th anniversary of the composition of Vande Mataram, he said, “People also need to know that avoiding discussions on Vande Mataram is not new. We had not achieved Independence when Vande Mataram completed 50 years. When the golden jubilee of Vande Mataram was due in 1937, Jawaharlal Nehru reduced it into two pieces and limited the national song to two stanzas.”

He further asserted that when Vande Mataram was “limited” after it completed 50 years, that is when appeasement started.

“That appeasement led to the partition of the nation. If Congress had not divided Vande Mataram for its appeasement politics, the country would not have been divided into two. When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, everyone was awaiting the celebrations, but an Emergency was imposed. No one could glorify and raise the ‘Vande Mataram’ slogans, as everyone was imprisoned. Indira Gandhi imprisoned those who raised the slogan of Vande Mataram,” he said.

Referring to the discussions on Vande Mataram held in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the Home Minister noted that both members of the Gandhi family (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) were absent from the House.

“Right from Jawaharlal Nehru to the current leadership, Congress continues to oppose Vande Mataram,” he added.

Slamming the Opposition, he said, “Some members raised questions in the Lok Sabha yesterday, asking why there is a need for the discussions on Vande Mataram. The need for discussion on Vande Mataram, the need for dedication towards Vande Mataram, was important back then; it is needed now, and it will always be significant for the formation of great India, which we have envisioned for 2047.”

He further called out the Opposition for linking the national song to the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections and said that “Vande Mataram is not limited to Bengal”..

“Some people think that because elections are approaching in Bengal, that is why Vande Mataram is being discussed; they want to diminish the glory of Vande Mataram by linking it to the Bengal elections,” he said.

“It is true that the composer of Vande Mataram, Bankim Babu, was from Bengal, the Anand Matth had its origin in Bengal, but Vande Mataram was not limited to Bengal or the country where it was composed. Everywhere in the world where our freedom fighters used to meet, they sang it. Today also, when our soldier at the border, or a policeman guarding the country from inside, sacrifices his life for the country, Vande Mataram is the only slogan he says as his last words.”

Nagpur: The second day of the Maharashtra Legislature’s Winter Session on Tuesday saw the opposition staging a forceful protest over what they termed the state government’s “continued neglect” of farmers.

Accusing the MahaYuti government of apathy, opposition leaders said that despite repeated assurances, the situation on the ground has worsened, with farmer suicides reportedly averaging eight per day.

Leaders, including Vijay Wadettiwar and Aaditya Thackeray, said the government had “misled” farmers with promises of a comprehensive loan waiver that remains unimplemented.

They also criticised the administration for failing to ensure a fair Minimum Support Price (MSP) for key crops.

The opposition further alleged that the government’s decision to reduce import duty on cotton to zero has triggered a surge in foreign cotton imports, severely hurting domestic growers.

They said soybean procurement centres are yet to start operations this season, adding to farmers’ distress. They also hit out at the government for the delay in disbursing bonus payments for paddy.

Soybean farmers have said that they are compelled to sell their produce in the open market below the MSP level, which hardly covers their costs. This, they say, has deepened their financial crisis in rural households.

Raising slogans such as “Deceitful Government!”, “Waive Farmers’ Loans!” and “Ensure Fair Prices for Cotton and Soybean!”, opposition MLAs accused the government of making announcements without delivering meaningful relief.

They also pointed to rising cases of farmer suicides to argue that the administration lacks seriousness in addressing agrarian distress.

The opposition claimed the government’s lack of urgency became evident when the Union Agriculture Minister recently stated that the Centre had not yet received any proposal for aid for rain- and flood-hit farmers from the state.

The state government later clarified that it had submitted the proposal on November 27.

Nagpur, Dec 9: The Maharashtra government has received complaints against 719 government employees for allegedly using fake disability certificates to avail benefits under various welfare schemes, Divyang Welfare Minister Atul Save informed the Assembly on Tuesday.

Minister Save said the verification of disability certificates has been made mandatory following directives from the central government as well as the state Divyang Welfare Department.

He assured that strict action would be taken wherever irregularities are detected. The Minister was responding to a question raised by NCP (SP) MLA Bapu Pathare in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Under government rules, any employee found using a fake certificate or possessing a certificate showing disability below 40 per cent will face action under Section 11 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, in addition to disciplinary proceedings.

A government resolution issued on October 9, 2025, had directed all departments to complete verification of disability certificates and submit detailed reports within three months, by January 8, 2026.

“So far, complaints related to fake UDID (Unique Disability ID) certificates have been received from 719 employees, and the concerned departments have been instructed to verify these cases and initiate action as per rules,” Minister Save said.

Only individuals with benchmark disabilities of 40 per cent or above are eligible for benefits such as reservation in government jobs, promotions and other government schemes, he added.

The Minister also noted that the government recently issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at strengthening protections for Divyang (differently-abled) persons against exploitation, abuse and violence.

The SOPs empower District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates to act swiftly to ensure immediate and effective intervention in such cases, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.