Groups clash over National Anthem in Tamil Nadu theatre

Chennai: In the first incident of vigilantism since the Supreme Court judgment, two groups allegedly clashed with each other at a cinema hall in Chennai on Sunday over issue of standing up while National Anthem being played. The incident happened on Sunday afternoon at Kasi theatre in Jafferkhanpet where the movie, Chennai-28 II innings, was being screened.

The police said that a group of youngsters who preferred to be seated while the anthem was being played was allegedly manhandled by another group. Though management representatives intervened immediately to pacify both sides, the fight spilled over to the parking lot when the movie was over.

The Supreme Court ordered that standing up for the National Anthem should be mandatory in all cinema halls in the country before the screening of the movie. Police said that the trouble started during interval when one Vijayakumar picked up an argument with the youngsters who remained seated when the anthem was played.

The argument ended in exchange of blows from both sides, the police said. Theatre officials intervened and posted a security guard near them throughout the movie in the theatre But an argument and another round of clashes broke out again in the parking lot after the show ended.

Based on an alert, a police team from the MGR Nagar station reached the theatre. The group which refused to stand told the police that they decided not to stand up not because they were unpatriotic, but that they were against imposing such things.

Both the groups were taken to the MGR Nagar Police station where the two sides lodged complaints against each other. Police claimed that they were browsing through the CCTV footage from the theatre to understand the issue.