The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered playing of national anthem inside cinema hallsacross the country with the national flag being displayed on screens before the start of a movie.
In its interim roder, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra also stated that all people present inside the theatre must rise to pay respect to the anthem.
“People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland,” a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said while stressing that it was the duty of every citizen of the country to show respect to the national anthem and the flag.
As expected, the Wednesday’s interim judgement became a dominating theme of social media conversation with an overwhelming majority of users mocking the directive. Supporters of the central government, however, hailed the Supreme Court.
India is currently governed by BJP, a Hindu nationalist party, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Many users simply failed to find a rationale behind compulsory play of national anthem inside a theatre.
They asked, ‘Why only cinema halls? Why not grocery shop or parliament or assembly halls?”
Some came up with cheeky comments such as ‘The #NationalAnthem should play every time an ATM runs out of cash.”
Here are some of the reactions;
If Ekta Kapoor is asked to play #NationalAnthem before her shows, will she play it thrice?#JustAsking #JustAsking #JustAsking
— Jet Lee(Suitcase wale Vasooli Bhai) (@Vishj05) November 30, 2016
.@imVkohli & Team will sing #NationalAnthem when ball crosses boundary
If ignored, Team India will pay fine using cash withdrawn from an ATM— Avinash (@VAvinash) November 30, 2016
Before u buy something using the Rs. 500 & 2000 note
All Indians r required 2 sing #NationalAnthem
Pls don't be anti-national by asking WHY!— Avinash (@VAvinash) November 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/AsYouNotWish/status/803905759398559744
#NationalAnthem must be played in both Houses of Parliament,with locked doors while Members stand on their feet in fully 100% waken state
— Ashok Garekar?? (@DrGarekar) November 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/iPrashantGajre/status/803903072225267712
https://twitter.com/immohdtanveer/status/803900327867142144
Why #NationalAnthem in just movies which we pay to watch? Why not in school prayers,
work-place assemblies, Rotary & Lions Club meetings— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) November 30, 2016
UNESO has declared Indians best at Standing up when the National Anthem plays. #NationalAnthem
— Abhishek Upmanyu (@AbhiUpmanyu) November 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/CallSignHARP/status/803915875929628673
If one is needed to be reminded of being an Indian in a movie theatre… I wonder where the country is heading ! #NationalAnthem
— Atul Kakkar (@ItsmeAtulK) November 30, 2016
