New Delhi: The Union home ministry on Wednesday wrote to the Tamil Nadu government objecting to its decision to allow 100% seats to be filled up in cinemas, theatres and multiplexes outside containment zones, and requesting that the order issued in this regard be modified to bring it in line with MHA guidelines dated December 28, 2020. The MHA guidelines allow seating in cinemas, theatres and multiplexes up to only 50% capacity.

Stating that the Tamil Nadu order issued on January 4, 2021, permitting increasing of seating capacity in cinemas, theatres and multiplexes from existing 50% to 100% by following standard operating procedures, amounted to dilution of MHA order issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the home ministry drew the state government's attention to Para 21 and 23 of the MHA guidelines that bar states/UTs from diluting its guidelines in any manner.