Rahman's national anthem controversy ends

By: Settu Shankar
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The controversy surrounding Maestro A.R.Rahman's 'Jana Gana Mana...' album came to an end yesterday, with the bench comprising Chief Justice A.B. Shah and Justice Jyothimani dismissing the petition to ban the album.

Mohanraj, the General Secretary of Janatha Party (Jebamani) had filed a case seeking a ban on the album that the music director's intention to release the album was to cash in on the national anthem. Further, he alleged that the national anthem should be sung within stipulated seconds but Rahman has sung it for nearly six to seven minutes in his song.

After completing enquiries, the judges opined that it is the right of the citizens to sing the national anthem and there is no provision in the law to punish people who do not sing the song within the stipulated time. They pointed out the court verdict in a similar past case, when the judges said that the law doesn't allow penalising people who even refuse to sing the national anthem.

Finally, the judges dismissed the petition, and counseled the petitioner not to litigate solely with a publicity motive.