National Anthem case posted to March 27

A local court today posted to March 27 hearing of the National Anthem case against Minister of state for HRD Shashi Tharoor.

The petitioner Joy Kaitharath made a submission in the court that he did not want to continue with the case.

The case was registered against Tharoor on the basis of a private complaint by Joy Kaitharath of Ernakulam in the Additional Chief Magistrate court stating that Tharoor had committed offences under section 3 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1977, enacted to prohibit desecration or insult to the country's National Anthem.

The complainant had alleged that Tharoor had on December 16, 2008 interrupted the national anthem at a function of the Federal Bank here and had asked the audience to sing it by keeping the right hand on the left side of the chest like the Americans, instead of the attention posture.