4 detained at Chennai Film Festival for not standing up for national anthem

Four people, including a senior citizen, were taken into custody on Wednesday for not standing up for the national anthem at the Chennai International Film Festival.

Four people, including a senior citizen, were taken into custody on Wednesday for not standing up for the national anthem at the Chennai International Film Festival.

Indian movie goers stand up as national anthem is played at a movie hall before the screening of a movie in Jammu. (AP Photo)

The four people, who, according to local reports, belong to a group called CPI (ML) RESIST, were initially manhandled by a group of people during a screening of the Bulgarian film Glory, following which they were taken into custody by police.

According to eyewitnesses, the mob which initially attacked them consisted of more than 30 people. Furthermore, the police were called in by organisers at the screening.

This isn’t the first time violence has broken out following the Supreme Court’s controversial decision which mandates that all movie theatres must play the national anthem before any film screening.

On December 11, seven people, also belonging to CPI (ML) RESIST, were allegedly assaulted by a group at Chennai’s Kasi Theatre after refusing to stand up for the national anthem.

Read | Chennai: Students attacked for not standing during national anthem in theatre