Six in custody for not standing for national anthem

The six, who have been taken into custody, refused to stand up while the national anthem was being played in Kannakakunnu Nishagandhi open air theatre

Six persons, including a woman, were taken into custody by police on Monday for not standing up when the national anthem was played ahead of the screening of a film at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

The IFFK organisers had made it very clear that the apex court guidelines will be followed by them at the 21st edition of the IFFK that began here Friday night and all the delegates have to stand up.

At the Nishagandhi auditorium here, five youth and a lady, despite after being told a few times by a policeman and the organisers, refused to stand up and were taken into custody.

The action came hours after activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing complained to state police chief Loknath Behra pointing out that some people at the screenings were not standing up when the national anthem was played.