A video has surfaced on social media depicting a heated confrontation between a group of individuals and a family who chose not to stand for the national anthem in a Bengaluru cinema hall. The group, led by a duo of actors, engaged in the incident at Malleshwaram Orion Mall PVR, immediately following the screening of the Tamil movie “Asuran” on October 23.

The video, initially shared by Kannada actress BV Aishwarya on her Facebook page but later deleted, captured the actors, including Arun Gowda, expressing disapproval of the family’s decision not to stand during the national anthem. The post accompanying the video condemned the family as “so-called citizens of India” and proclaimed the group’s determination to rectify these perceived “Anti-Indians.”

Arun Gowda, in the video, points at the family, highlighting their refusal to stand during the national anthem and their suggestion to file a police complaint when questioned. The group accuses the family of being unpatriotic, questioning if they are “Pakistani terrorists.” The argument escalates, with the family responding to the accusation by emphasizing the absurdity of equating non-standing with being Pakistani.

The group continues to berate the family, hurling abuses in Kannada, and Aishwarya urges them to leave if they cannot stand for the anthem. Arun Gowda, in a statement to Indianexpress.com, asserts that the argument intensified when the family disrespected the army in their comments. He justifies their actions, stating that while standing for the anthem is a personal choice, disrespecting the army is intolerable.

Gowda explains that he intended to expose the mindset of those who refused to stand for the anthem but found the conversation taking unexpected turns. He claims that around 80-100 people joined them in protesting the family’s behavior, urging cinema hall officials to eject them.

Despite allegations of abuses, police officials confirm no official complaint was filed at the Subramanya Nagar police station. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), N Shashikumar, states that legal action may be taken if the video indicates disrespect under the Prevention of Insult to National Honours Act.

This incident echoes a previous case in May, where a youngster was detained in Bengaluru for not standing during the national anthem at Garuda Mall’s cinema hall.