Owaisi welcomes SC's decision on National Anthem

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision that the National Anthem was not mandatory in the cinema halls anymore.

"I totally welcome the order of the Supreme Court. Under the previous order, many people were harassed, especially people from the minority community, who were physically handicapped were targetted by all so-called vigilantes who support the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he said.

The Apex Court today, in a landmark decision, overturned its earlier order and pronounced that the National Anthem was not mandatory in the cinema halls anymore.

The order was passed by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud during the hearing of a petition seeking provision of punishment on disobeying the National Anthem.

During the arguments and submissions from various parties including the petitioner, respondent and the Central Government, the apex court accepted the suggestion of a top law officer representing the Centre, KK Venugopal, and said the screening of the National Anthem in cinema halls would, henceforth, be optional.

On Monday, the Centre asked the top court to review its 2016 order that made it mandatory to play the National Anthem in cinema halls.