Owaisi welcomes Supreme Court's decision on National Anthem

Hyderabad, Jan 09: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision that the National Anthem was not mandatory in the cinema halls anymore.

"I totally welcome the order of the Supreme Court. Under the previous order, many people were harassed, especially people from the minority community, who were physically handicapped were targetted by all so-called vigilantes who support the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," he said.

The Apex Court today, in a landmark decision, overturned its earlier order and pronounced that the National Anthem was not mandatory in the cinema halls anymore.

The order was passed by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud during the hearing of a petition seeking provision of punishment on disobeying the National Anthem.

On Monday, the Centre asked the top court to review its 2016 order that made it mandatory to play the National Anthem in cinema halls.