New Delhi: The supreme court Monday asked the Centre to take a call on playing of national anthem in cinema halls across the country.
A three-member bench headed by chief justice Dipak Misra has told the Centre to consider amending the national flag code to regulate the playing of national anthem in the theatres. The other members of the bench are justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.
The bench indicated that it may modify its order of December 1, 2016, by which the playing of the anthem was made mandatory for cinema halls before the screening of a movie, and it may replace the word “shall” with “may”.
Appearing for the Centre, attorney general K K Venugopal said India was a diverse country and the national anthem needs to be played in the cinema halls to bring in uniformity.
The apex court, whilAppearing for the Centre, attorney general K K Venugopal said India was a diverse country and the national anthem needs to be played in the cinema halls to bring in uniformity.e disposing off a PIL filed by one Shyam Narayan Chouksey, had last year ordered the theaters across the country to play the national anthem before a movie and the audience must stand and show respect, in a bid to “instil committed patriotism and nationalism”.
The court had also barred printing of the anthem or a part of it on any object and displaying it in such a manner at places which may be “disgraceful to its status and tantamount to disrespect”.
