The six men, accused of disrespect to the national anthem, were released on bail by Kerala police.
Highlights
- Incident took place at Thiruvananthapuram's Nishagandhi Auditorium
- Police said the men refused to stand up even when asked to do so
- This was a violation of a recent Supreme Court order
A police case has been filed against six people for failing to stand up during the national anthem at an international film festival in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.
The police said the men did not budge even when the policemen present at the hall requested them to stand up as per a recent order of the Supreme Court. The IFFK organisers and Director of Chalachitra Academy, Charmin Kamal, also asked them to stand, but they refused.
The incident took place this evening at the Kannakakunnu Nishagandhi Auditorium, an open air theatre, where an Egyptian movie was being screened. The men were professionals in the 25-30 age group, one man was aged 52, the police said. They were formally arrested and later released on bail.
In an unrelated incident, members the BJP youth wing, Yuva Morcha, have filed a complaint in which they have mentioned that some young people had refused to stand up for the national anthem on December 9.
On Sunday, a group of
college students was manhandled and threatened inside a movie theatre in Chennai allegedly because they didn't stand when the national anthem was playing.
The students have been charged with insulting the national anthem - which carries a three-year jail term. No case was filed against the people who attacked them.
The order of the Supreme Court came on November 30. The court had ruled that all movie theatres must play the anthem before screenings and everyone must stand.
Last week, the court amended a widely questioned part of its order and said the doors of the theatre must be shut but not bolted when the anthem is playing.