Audience members stand for the Indian national anthem before a movie starts at a cinema in New Delhi. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images)
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CPI’s Spurious Plea To The Chief Justice To Reconsider National Anthem Verdict
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has appealed to the Supreme Court to reconsider its order mandating movie halls to play the national anthem before shows. They wrote a letter to Chief Justice T S Thakur in this regard. But the party's arguments are bizarre. They argue:
- Playing the national anthem before movies is akin to showcasing "vulgar dance along with traditional classical dance".
In our country right now, the era of intolerance is prevailing. Many anti-social elements will also attend theatres. Multi-religious people come to theaters. Intoxicated gangsters also will attend movies. Hence probable chances are there for eruption of communal violence in various states.CPI national secretary K Narayana
But Narayana's motive seems more motivated to save his fellow-ideologues, who do not want to stand up for the national anthem, from being arrested. The 12 who were arrested from two venues of the International Film Festival of Kerala earlier this week for not standing up for the national anthem turned out to be communist sympathisers.