It was in December last that the Supreme Court made the playing of National Anthem before a movie starts mandatory in every theatre. Following the order, the Government of India framed relevant rules to enforce the order.

On Monday, a judge of the same court struck a different note. Justice Chandrachud said in a sharp observation: "You don't have to stand up at a cinema hall to be perceived as patriotic."

There is a speculation that, on January 9 (the date of next hearing), the SC will reverse its December 2016 order. If it does, then playing Jana Gana Mana in the theatres will be optional.

However, the SC's "flip-flops" are raising many eyebrows. "The next judge will say it`s compulsory to sing and we will keep on sitting & standing. #Mockery #NationalAnthem," Ashoke Pandit tweets.

Reacting on the issue, 'Dhruva' villain Arvind Swamy says, "I will always stand up for our Natl Anthem & sing along, which I do with great pride.Never understood why it ws mandatory n cinema halls only. Why not every day in all govt offices, courts, before assembly and parliament sessions?"