ME NEWS BUREAU: Taking a U-turn on the issue of playing national anthem in the cinema halls, the Centre urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its order making it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem before screening the films.
The Centre said that an inter-ministerial committee is being formed to study the matter and the government will take a final call once the committee submits its recommendations in six months.
The government had earlier insisted making it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem prior to showing films and also educational institutions so that people should stand up and respect the national song.
The government drew flak for its controversial decision from various parts of society as it started nationwide debates on whether the nationalism must be injected or not.
Deepak Kumar, Under Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, filed an affidavit in the SC saying the government favors the apex court decision which withdrew its interim order passed on November 30, 2016 directing all the cinema halls to play the national anthem before the screening and insisted that everybody over there must stand up and show respect till the anthem concludes.
The order led to a debate and disturbed the social order as violent clashes were reported in many theatres across the country as some showed reluctance to stand up while playing the national anthem, ended up in marking them as anti-nationals by several Hindu outfits.
Considering the anguish and atrocities over the controversial decision and the government’s fluttering decisions over the issue, the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, in October 2017, asked the Centre to take a call on regulating the playing of national anthem in public places, and also asked it to come out with rules.
