STANDING FOR ANTHEM NO TEST OF PATRIOTISM, OBSERVES SC

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra hinted on Monday that it may modify its 2016 verdict and make it optional for cinema halls to play the National anthem.

The top court also asked the Centre to consider amending the national flag code if it wanted to enforce the playing of the national anthem in cinema halls across the country.

In November 2016, the court passed an order, saying, “All the cinema halls in India shall play the National Anthem before the feature film starts and all present in the hall are obliged to stand up to show respect to the National Anthem.”

On Monday, Chief Justice Misra said the court “may modify its order and may replace the word “shall” with “may.” Until then the November order will be in operation”.

During the hearing, one of the judges on the bench, Justice DY Chandrachud, asked Attorney General KK Venugopal whether everyone “should wear our patriotism on our sleeves?”

The court was hearing a petition against the November order filed by the Kodungalloor Film Society in Kerala.

Responding on behalf of the government, Venugopal said the playing of the national anthem fostered national unity in a vast and diverse country like India, and referred to the fundamental duties enshrined in the constitution. The attorney general also opposed recalling of the order by the top court.