Supreme Court Makes National Anthem Optional At Cinema Halls

The Supreme Court today said it will be optional for cinema hall owners to play the national anthem before screening a film after the government informed the court that it had set up a panel to look into the matter.

That modifies the November 2016 interim order of the top court passed while hearing a public interest litigation. The court said while it is optional for cinema owners to play the national anthem, it will be mandatory to pay respects if they decide to do so.

The government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that it has appointed a 12-member inter-ministerial committee to look into the issue. During the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal urged the court to make playing national anthem optional till the panel submits its suggestions.

The three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, and Justices DY Chandrachud and AM Khanwilkar then modified the order.