The West Bengal government on Monday announced its decision to ban ‘The Kerala Story’.
The movie, which has been surrounded by controversy ever since its trailer was released, is facing stiff protest in several states.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the decision on Monday at the state secretariat. The announcement came just minutes after Mamata Banerjee alleged that “the BJP was funding a film on Bengal on the lines of Kashmir Files”
West Bengal govt bans #TheKeralaStory; CM @MamataOfficial says BJP showing film on distorted history. Listen in.
The Bengal chief minister has directed the state chief secretary to ensure the film is removed from screens running it in the state. Mamata Banerjee said the decision has been taken to “maintain peace in Bengal” and avoid any incident of hate crime and violence.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar slammed the ruling TMC government’s move and claimed Mamata Banerjee wants to “close her eyes to the reality”.
The BJP leader said, “CM Mamata Banerjee has banned the movie ‘The Kerala Story. Nothing to surprise, it was expected of her. It is based on the true stories and shows how Islamists trap Hindu girls into Love Jihad and later send to become ISIS terrorists. Didi want to close her eyes to the reality.”
“She want to deprive the people of WB, especially women from this harsh reality. The cases of Love Jihad are common in WB. WB has led the way of the country whenever the need arises. Her decision is opposite to that. By banning, she has proved again there is no FoE in WB. Shame!” he added.
Reacting to The Kerala Story being banned in West Bengal, film’s producer Vipul Shah said, “If that is what she has done, we will take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of law, we will fight.”
ROW OVER THE KERALA STORY
The Adah Sharma-starrer The Kerala Story centers around alleged religious indoctrination in Kerala and how Hindu and Christian women are being targeted by radical Islamic clerics. The movie claims that these women were converted to Islam and later sent to countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria “to fight for the cause of Islam”.
In Kerala, various youth outfits staged demonstrations against the screening of the movie which hit theatres across the country on May 5.
According to the ruling CPI(M) and opposition Congress in Kerala, the film falsely claims that 32,000 women got converted and radicalised and were deployed in terror missions both in India and the world.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had slammed the filmmakers, saying they were taking up the Sangh Parivar propaganda of projecting the state as a centre of religious extremism by raising the issue of ‘love jihad’. Pinarayi Vijayan also said the trailer of The Kerala Story, at first glance, appears to be “deliberately produced” with the alleged aim of creating communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against the state.
Earlier, multiplexes across Tamil Nadu cancelled screenings of the controversial film from Sunday, citing law and order issues and poor public response.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited the film for bringing out terror conspiracies and used it to attack the Congress during a rally in Karnataka.
The Madhya Pradesh goernment has made the movie tax-free in the state, while Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the same could be done in UP if there is a proposal.