The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking action against the Tamil Nadu chief secretary for not playing the national anthem at a recent function in which the Prime Minister participated, noting that even the petitioner had not said it was mandatory.
When the plea came up before a division bench comprising justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad, the petitioner said neither Tamil (an invocation song to mother Tamil) nor the national anthem was played when Narendra Modi took part in the event to lay the foundation stone for the AIIMS at Madurai on January 27. Citing a Union Home Ministry circular that outlines state events where the national anthem should be played, the petitioner said and submitted that neither the Tamil nor the national anthem was played despite the presence of Constitutional authorities like Governor Banwarilal Purohit in the function.