Supreme Court: Modifying the order dated 30.11.2016 where it was directed that all the cinema halls in India shall play the National Anthem before the feature film starts and all present in the hall are obliged to stand up to show respect to the National Anthem, the 3-Judge Bench of Dipak Misra, A.M. Khanwilkar and M.M. Shantanagouda, JJ directed that the persons who are wheel chair users, those with autism, persons suffering from cerebral palsy, multiple disabilities, parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, leprosy cured, muscular dystrophy and deaf and blind be treated not to be within the ambit of the said order.
The Court had, on 30.11.2016, laid down certain directions to be followed in order to ensure respect towards the National Anthem as well as to the National Flag as it is the sacred obligation of every citizen to abide by the ideals engrafted in the Constitution and one such ideal is to show respect for the National Anthem and the National Flag. [Shyam Narayan Chouksey v. Union of India, 2017 SCC OnLine SC 433, order dated 18.04.2017]
