Thrissur: BJP workers protested in front of the house of film director and Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal at Kodungallur on Wednesday alleging that he was not keen on implementing the Supreme Court order to respect the national anthem by standing in cinema halls while the anthem is played during film festivals.
BJP district president A. Nagesh said that though Kamal expressed willingness to follow the SC order, at the ongoing Kerala International Film Festival, where he is one among the key organisers, the film director was against police taking into custody a few persons who showed disrespect by remaining seated as the anthem was played at the beginning of the show.
“Besides that, Anoop Kumaran of Kodungallur Film Society was the petitioner in the court against playing national anthem in theatres and Kamal was a patron of this society. We have noticed that the society had earlier conducted a film show on Kashmir issue which was considered by several others as completely against the national interest,” Mr Nagesh added.
Responding to the criticism that BJP had shown disrespect to the anthem by singing it as a part of its protest, Mr Nagesh said that the national anthem was recited not as a part of the protest, but after completing the protest.
