Playing national anthem is mark of respect: MC Mary Kom

Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom on Saturday said that the national anthem is a sign of identity for all Indians.

"It is a sign of identity for us as Indians. It is a very good move as playing the national anthem, in my opinion, is mark of respect," said the 34-year-old star boxer on the national anthem row.

Earlier on Saturday, Indian shooter Heena Sidhu, said that she does not understand as to why the Supreme Court made a law making it mandatory for the national anthem to be played in movie theaters.

"First of all, you mix entertainment and patriotism and you force people to stand up when they have come to actually get entertained from a movie and then you say, oh it is optional. So, either you don't bring up laws which you can't uphold or you stick with how the tradition and culture is," Sidhu said while talking exclusively to ANI.

The apex court had in November 2016 ordered the playing of the national anthem on cinema screens and displaying of the national flag mandatory before the beginning of any movie.

The ruling by the court in this past one year has been hailed and criticized by eminent leaders, filmmakers, and sports personalities.

The issue was brought to light again when an FIR was lodged against two students from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after they allegedly did not stand up for the national anthem.

The two students of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University of Rajouri district, allegedly did not even stand up and were seen taking selfies when the national anthem was being played.

A fresh row on the singing of national anthem erupted after the Jaipur Mayor Ashok Lahoty made it compulsory for staffers to sing the national anthem every morning and the national song every evening. The bio-metric system of attendance will not accept any entries after the morning anthem.