Coming down heavily on West Bengal government over banning of 'The Kerala Story' citing law and order situation, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that law can't be used to put premium on public intolerance. The Apex Court also removed the ban on the screening of the movie.
"The Kerala Story", starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on May 5. Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film claims women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). The West Bengal government however had banned the screening of the movie citing that the law and order situation may deteriorate in the state.
The apex court also ruled that state is duty-bound to maintain law and order. "Law can't be used to put premium on public intolerance, otherwise all films will find themselves in this spot.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order as the film has been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). “Bad films bomb at the box office,” the bench said. “The legal provision cannot be used to put a premium on public intolerance. Otherwise, all films will find themselves in this spot,” the bench, also comprising justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, said during the hearing which is still on.
Supreme Court also took on record the assurance of Tamil Nadu that there is no direct or indirect ban on the film 'The Kerala Story' and directs adequate security should be provided in every cinema hall and requisite arrangements shall be made to ensure the safety of moviegoers.
