Twelve people have been arrested in southern India for not standing while the national anthem was being played at an international film festival.
The arrests follow a ruling by India’s Supreme Court last month that said the anthem must be played before every film screening in the country, accompanied by an image of the national flag, and that audiences must stand. The court said the rule was aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism.
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The 12 people, all Indian citizens, were arrested in two separate incidents at the film festival, said Anil Kumar, inspector of police in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state. They were released on bail.
On Sunday, eight people were beaten by right-wing activists for not standing while the national anthem was being played at a cinema in the southern city of Chennai, according to police.
Police later registered cases against the eight for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem.
