On 30 November 2016, a Supreme court bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy ordered that the National Anthem must be played in public theaters across the country before a movie. It also ordered that the National Flag be displayed on screen when the anthem is played.
The Centre, represented by then attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi, said it completely agreed with need for specific guidelines to show respect and honour for the national anthem and the flag.
A report in The Hindu captures the Centre's stand on the issue in 2016: "When the hearing began, Justice Misra, along with Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi, recalled a time, years ago, when the anthem was played in schools and before film shows in theatres as the flag fluttered on the screen. They then mutually agreed that respect was lacking."
Days later, an MP of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Meenakshi Lekhi, supported the order, saying respecting the anthem "causes no harm". "The National Anthem is sung at various places like schools, public functions, events etc. What's the harm in playing it at another venue? It causes no harm and it is natural to stand up when the anthem is played," she said.
Lekhi said the law is clear about the National Anthem, as it is already mentioned in the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. "The court had just read the law," she said, adding that people living in the country must abide by the law of the land.
On 23 October, 2017, the Supreme Court said that people do not need to stand up in cinema halls to prove their patriotism and "cannot be forced to carry patriotism on their sleeves", asking the Centre to consider amending the rules.
Observing that the society did not need "moral policing", the bench said that next time, "the government will want people to stop wearing T-shirts and shorts to cinemas saying this would disrespect the National Anthem."
Representing the Centre, Attorney-General KK Venugopal had told the court that India was a diverse country and the National Anthem needed to be played in the cinema halls to bring in uniformity.
Venugopal said it should be left open to the government to take a call on its own discretion on whether the anthem should be played in theatres.