The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition that sought to make playing the national anthem mandatory in courts. The bench said its earlier directive to cinema halls should not be stretched and dismissed the plea, reported The Times of India. The court has reportedly asked lawyers to file a “proper plea”.

This comes two days after the apex court had ruled that all cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before every movie screening. The bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy also ordered that this be accompanied by the national flag on the screen, and that members of the public should stand up for the anthem. They added that the anthem should “not be printed on undesirable objects or be displayed in such a manner and at such places which may be disgraceful to its status and may tantamount to disrespect”.