Tempers flared and historic grievances resurfaced as India’s Parliament entered the ninth day of its Winter Session on December 11, 2025. The session, which was expected to focus on electoral reforms and the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram,’ instead became a battleground for political accusations, ideological clashes, and pointed jabs across the aisle. The country watched as senior leaders from both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress traded barbs over alleged voter fraud, the treatment of national symbols, and the legacy of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
The drama began in earnest on December 10, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi squared off in the Lok Sabha. According to IE Online Media Services, Gandhi challenged Shah to address his press conferences on ‘vote chori’—allegations of vote theft—but claimed he received no substantive response. Gandhi told reporters, “He (Shah) used the wrong language, his hands were shaking, you would have seen all this. He is under pressure mentally that was witnessed in Parliament, the whole country saw it.”
Shah, for his part, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the Congress party’s electoral defeats were the result of its own leadership, not the voting process or the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He accused the opposition of raising the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls because, in his words, they could no longer win elections by “corrupt practices.” Shah further alleged that the opposition wanted to keep “illegal immigrants” on the voter list, stating that the Modi government’s policy was clear: detect and delete the names of all aliens from the rolls.
The exchange quickly escalated as Rahul Gandhi cited incidents from Haryana, claiming that officials had identified 19 fake voters in the state—a charge that only deepened the partisan divide. As reported by Business Standard, opposition members staged a walkout in protest against Shah’s remarks, leading to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha after the home minister’s speech at 6:30 pm. The House was scheduled to reconvene the following day at 11 am, but the acrimony lingered.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was no less contentious. The upper house was in the midst of a debate on the significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ and its place in the national consciousness. Union Minister JP Nadda argued passionately that the song should be accorded the same status as the National Anthem and the National Flag, describing it as a “mantra that awakens India’s collective spirit” and a symbol of national renewal. Nadda’s remarks, however, quickly veered into historical territory as he referenced Jawaharlal Nehru’s correspondence from 1937, in which Nehru reportedly expressed concerns that some stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ might upset Muslims. Nadda also claimed Nehru initiated an investigation into the song after Muhammad Ali Jinnah issued a fatwa against it.
Congress leaders, including President Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, bristled at what they saw as an attempt to malign Nehru’s legacy. Kharge interjected pointedly, “What’s the topic, Vande Mataram or Nehru?”—a sentiment echoed by many in the opposition who accused the BJP of dragging historical figures into present-day debates. According to India Today, chaos erupted as Nadda pressed his case, with Congress MPs questioning the government’s motives and timeline. Ramesh alleged that the commemoration of ‘Vande Mataram’ was designed to defame Nehru, while Kharge insisted the debate should remain focused on the song itself.
The political theater was not limited to these two issues. Outside Parliament, Trinamool Congress MPs staged a protest, accusing the central government of depriving Bengal by withholding wages for nearly 5.9 million people under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Selja Kumari raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of national highways, urging the government to focus on infrastructure quality. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai demanded answers over how the Luthra brothers, implicated in a nightclub tragedy, managed to leave the country before being arrested in Thailand on India’s request.
Back in the Rajya Sabha, BJD MP Manas Mangaraj requested that future Winter Sessions be held outside Delhi due to worsening air pollution—a reminder that environmental concerns are never far from the surface in the capital. During the Question Hour, Minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted the economic and ecological benefits of ethanol blending, noting it saves farmers nearly Rs 40,000 crore and helps reduce pollution.
On the legislative front, the Lok Sabha extended the deadline for the Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, which seeks to enable simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The committee’s report will now be presented on the first day of the last week of the Budget Session in 2026, as reported by Business Standard. Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule moved the motion for this extension, which was approved by a voice vote.
Amid the heated rhetoric, accusations, and counter-accusations, some lawmakers tried to bring the focus back to policy. Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat addressed concerns about the impact of tourism-driven development on Adivasi communities, clarifying that state governments have jurisdiction but must consult local stakeholders and evaluate social and environmental impacts.
Yet, the day was dominated by personal attacks and ideological sparring. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused Amit Shah of digressing from the real issues and displaying “hollowness” during his speech. Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi echoed this, saying Shah’s remarks lacked clarity and were filled with arrogance and “unparliamentary words.” On the other side, Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticized Rahul Gandhi’s “hit-and-run formula,” claiming the opposition leader habitually walked out when confronted by the Prime Minister or the Home Minister.
Even the debate over ‘Vande Mataram’ became a proxy for deeper disagreements about national identity and historical memory. Congress MP Rajeev Shukla lamented that the BJP seemed obsessed with invoking Nehru and Gandhi at every turn: “I don’t understand how long the BJP will keep talking about history... What are you doing sitting in the government for the last 11 years?” Samajwadi MP Ramgopal Yadav warned that divisive rhetoric from the country’s top internal security official was inappropriate and risked undermining national unity.
As the dust settled on a tumultuous day in Parliament, it was clear that the Winter Session had become a microcosm of India’s broader political landscape: fiercely contested, rooted in both present grievances and unresolved historical debates, and animated by a cast of characters unwilling to cede ground. The challenges of electoral reform and the meaning of national symbols remain as pressing—and as polarizing—as ever.
