Jokes and criticism were the reaction to the Supreme Court's order that the national anthem be played before movies start at cinema halls. However, the order is no laughing matter as 20 people have been arrested in the last 48 hours for failing to stand up when the national anthem was being played.
On November 30th, the apex court ruled that cinemas have to play the national anthem and people have to stand up during it.
On Monday, 12 people were arrested at an international film festival in Kerala for failing to stand up, the police said.
"They were formally arrested and later released on bail," said Sparjan Kumar, police chief of the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram. Kumar said that 12 people were assaulted when they didn't stand, and there will be no charges against the attackers, giving way to more vigilantism.
"We are yet to receive a complaint over the assault. There is no investigation in (that) incident," he told news agency AFP.
On Sunday, eight people were arrested in Chennai after being assaulted by 20 men during the interval after they allegedly refused to stand during the national anthem.
They were reportedly charged under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and face up to three years in jail if found guilty.
The Supreme Court had not specified any penalty for failure to stand neither did it say who will be monitoring the rule-breaking, but the police has taken up the job in states.
In reaction to the rule, lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said, "What we feared as consequence of SC's absurd order on National Anthem is happening. It's promoting Vigilantism!"
"Went to the theatre to listen to the National Anthem. What is this new stupid rule that you have to watch a 3 hour Movie after that? Ugh." joked one tweeter user.
"A friend downloaded a movie torrent, and that came with National Anthem in mp3 :-P" tweeted another.
South African TV show host of the The Daily Show, a late-night television talk show on Comedy Central in the US, also took note of the court order and criticised it.
Many have questioned why the national anthem is not sung in courts.
"The largest democracy feels the need to force people to pay respect instead of being good enough to earn it," said another tweeter user.
