No need to stand up for national anthem in theatres: Supreme Court judge

In an almost point-by-point rebuttal of the national anthem order of November 2016, Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud on Monday said there is no need for an Indian to wear his patriotism on his sleeve by standing up for the national anthem in cinema theatres.

Chandrachud was part of a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who had made it mandatory to stand up for the national anthem in a theatre, and Justice A M Khanwilkar hearing a petition from a film society in Kerala which sought the recall of the November order, The Hindu reported.

The 2016 order had mandated that people in a cinema hall should stand up when the national anthem is played in auditoriums before every show. Justice Chandrachud wondered where such moral policing will stop and said as per the Flag Code, there is no requirement for people to stand up. He said people go to films for entertainment, a requirement of society.

The bench told the government’s counsel K K Venugopal that it should take a call if it wanted to amend the Flag Code and make it mandatory to play the anthem in the cinema theatres or otherwise.