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Three Movie Goers In Chennai Roughed Up For Not Standing Up When The National Anthem Was Played

"We were harassed and manhandled."
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A group of 20 people roughed up one man and two women at the Kasi theatre in Chennai because they did not stand up for the National Anthem before the screening of Chennai 28-II on Sunday afternoon.

The Times of India reported today that Viji, a freelance movie reviewer, and law students, Sabaritha and Shreela, were among the nine people who did not stand up. The three of them were roughed up following an argument during the intermission.

"They were taking selfies when the anthem was being played, which was not welcomed by many of us," Vijayakumar, a civil service aspirant, who allegedly grabbed Viji by the collar, told TOI. Shreela told TOI, "We were harassed and manhandled. They issued life threats and assaulted us. We did not have any intention to show disrespect."

In response to a petition filed by a retired engineer from Bhopal, the Supreme Court recently issued directives for the National Anthem to be played before movie screenings across the country and for people to stand when it is played.

Last week, The Indian Express reported that adult movie theaters in Kolkata are having a tough time getting their patrons to stand up while the National Anthem is played before the screening of movies.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.