Thiruvananthapuram: Lashing out at the upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story', Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday (April 30) said the film appears to have been deliberately made with the aim of communal polarisation and to spread hate propaganda against the state. He said that this fake story is the product of Sangh Parivar's lie factory.
The trailer of the film has triggered an uproar in the state, with both the ruling party and opposition Congress calling it an effort to tarnish the state's image and a bid to disturb its secular fabric.
‘Film trying to spread propaganda of Sangh Parivar’
The Chief Minister said that the trailer of the film indicates that the film is trying to spread the propaganda of Sangh Parivar, which has established itself as the center of religious extremism in the land of secularism, Kerala. “The trailer of the Hindi film The Kerala Story, which appears to have been deliberately made with the aim of communal polarisation and to spread hate propaganda against Kerala was released last day. It is indicated from the trailer that this film is trying to spread the propaganda of Sangh Parivar, which has established itself as the center of religious extremism in the land of secularism, Kerala,” said the Kerala CM.
The Chief Minister, in a statement, said that such propaganda films and the alienation of Muslims depicted in them should be viewed in the context of Sangh Parivar's efforts to gain political advantage in Kerala.
‘Film projecting Kerala as centre of religious extremism by raising issue of love jihad’
He said that the film is taking up the Sangh Parivar propaganda of projecting the state as a centre of religious extremism by raising the issue of 'love jihad'. Vijayan said that despite the issue of 'love jihad' being rejected by probe agencies, courts and the MHA, it was being raised in connection with Kerala as the main premise of the film only to humiliate the state in front of the world.
“It is part of a systematic move to frame the "love jihad" allegations which were rejected by the investigating agencies, the courts and even the Union Home Ministry. G Kishan Reddy, the then MoS Home who is a minister in the cabinet even today had replied in the Parliament that there is no such thing as "Love Jihad",” he added.
He also accused the Sangh Parivar of trying to destroy the religious harmony in the state by "sowing the poisonous seeds of communalism".
‘Product of Sangh Parivar's lie factory’
Vijayan alleged that since the Sangh Parivar's politics of division was not working in Kerala, as it did in other places, it was trying to spread it through a film based on "fake stories", unsupported by any fact or evidence. “Seeing that Parivar politics does not work in Kerala like in other places, they are trying to spread division politics through fake stories and movies. The Sangh Parivar is spreading such myths without any facts and evidence. The big lie that 32,000 women in Kerala converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State was what we saw in the trailer of the film. This fake story is the product of Sangh Parivar's lie factory,” the CM contended in his statement.
He said that freedom of expression cannot be a justification for using cinema to spread sectarianism in the state and create divisions. "It is not a licence to spread lies and communalism and divide the people in the state," he added. Viayan urged Malayalis to reject such moves and be vigilant against the attempts to spread communal unrest in the society through false propaganda. He also warned of legal action against anti-social activities.
A couple of days ago, both the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress hit out at the controversial upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story', saying freedom of expression was not a licence to spew venom in society, and the film was an attempt to destroy the communal harmony of the state.
The Congress urged the government not to give permission to screen the controversial movie as it aimed to create "communal divisions in society through false claims". The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), had also lashed out against the film and said its trailer itself hurt religious sentiments and sought stern action against it.
‘The Kerala Story’
'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, is set to be released in cinemas on May 5. 'The Kerala Story', written and directed by Sudipto Sen, is portrayed as "unearthing" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing in the southern state.
The film falsely claims they converted, got radicalised and were deployed in terror missions in India and the world. The film's writer-director Sudipto Sen's earlier movies are 'Aasma', 'Lucknow Times' and 'The Last Monk'. 'The Kerala Story' is backed by Sunshine Pictures Private Limited, founded by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who serves as the producer, creative director and co-writer on the film.
(With agencies input)
Also Read: The Kerala Story: CPI (M) MP writes to Centre urging action against 'mischievous' teaser
