Above: People singing national anthem in a cinema hall/Photo: YouTube
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 9) said that playing of national anthem in cinema halls before screening of movies is not mandatory abrogating its own decree of 2016.
In 2016, the Court had made it compulsory for all the cinema halls to play national anthem before screening of movies
The bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud passed the order on the plea filed challenging the dramatization and misuse of the national anthem.
During the course of proceedings, Attorney General KK Venugopal apprised the bench that Central Government has constituted a committee to set up policies to decide the circumstances when the national anthem should be played or sung with decorum.
The bench directed the petitioner, Shyam Narayan Chouksey to approach the committee and passed the following directions while disposing of the plea:
- The committee shall give final discussion on these issues
- The interim order passed on November 23, 2016 is modified, playing of national anthem prior to the movie is not mandatory.
- The citizens and persons who are in India are bound to show respect in all things relating to national pride.
- These directions are not enforceable to all the disable persons and all those people who use wheel chair.
—India Legal Bureau