Commoners arrested, but no action against TMC MLA for speaking on phone during national anthem

While reports of moral policing keep popping up as far as the national anthem the rules do not seem to apply to politicians.

By: News Desk |
December 19, 2016 11:39 am

While a number people are being arrested for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem, no action has been taken against a Trinamool Congress MLA Vaishali Dalmiya who was caught attending her phone while the national anthem was being played at a sporting event in Howrah city of West Bengal.

In the video, you can clearly see her speaking over the phone but she quickly hung up as the camera focused on her. Meanwhile, the other people present in the line were seen singing the national anthem dedicatedly.

Watch the entire video here:

#CaughtOnCam: TMC MLA Vaishali Dalmiya talking on phone during the National Anthem at a sport event in Howrah (West Bengal) (18.12.16) pic.twitter.com/O64ZBoBhhm

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 19, 2016

According to reports, Vaishali is the daughter of the ex President of International Cricket Council and Board of Cricket Council of India.

However, this is not the first time that a politician was seen “disrespecting” the national anthem. BJP MDMC Mayor Ravinder Singh added to the party’s embarrassment by singing the National Anthem incorrectly. A video surfaced on Twitter last week where the mayor, along with some eight people, is singing the National Anthem. Everyone except for Gupta are seen singing correctly in synchrony.

Meanwhile, Kamal C Chavara aka Kamalsy Prana, a Malayalam writer and theater activist was charged with sedition after he allegedly mocked the national anthem in a Facebook post. He picked up a few lines from his novel mentioning about how schoolchildren get excited about singing the national anthem at 4 pm because for the national anthem means that they would now be allowed to use the toilet. He also states in his Facebook post that teachers do not usually allow the children to use the toilet during the classes.

Also, twelve people were booked by police last week in two separate incidents at the International Film Festival in Kerala for not standing up during the playing of the national anthem.

This incident of moral policing came merely a day after a group of eight persons, including three women, were beaten in public for sitting while the national anthem was being played. While those beaten up were booked under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the thrashers were allowed to walk away scot-free.