New Delhi: In a transfer that has sparked political firestorms and public outcry, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday brazenly criticized the nationwide broadcaster Doordarshan’s choice to air the contentious movie “The Kerala Story.” The Chief Minister’s condemnation comes amidst issues that the movie’s telecast may inflame communal tensions, notably with the Lok Sabha elections on the horizon. Vijayan referred to as upon Doordarshan to retract its choice, cautioning towards reworking the general public service broadcaster right into a car for BJP and RSS propaganda.
“The broadcast of ‘The Kerala Story,’ a film that stirs polarization, is a highly condemnable act,” Vijayan said, emphasizing the necessity for the broadcaster to stay neutral, particularly within the lead-up to the final elections.
Echoing the Chief Minister’s sentiments, the ruling CPI(M) has additionally demanded that Doordarshan rethink its choice, accusing the BJP of leveraging the movie to polarize the secular cloth of Kerala society. The CPI(M) state secretariat has framed the telecast as a direct problem to Kerala’s ethos, recalling the sturdy protests and the censor board’s elimination of sure scenes from the movie.
CPI(M) MP AA Rahim has additionally vehemently opposed the screening, urging Doordarshan to not turn out to be a “centre of hate propaganda.”
The Kerala High Court had beforehand declined to halt the movie’s launch, discovering no offensive content material directed at any particular group. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had equally deemed the film match for public viewing, regardless of allegations that the movie’s trailer made unfounded claims relating to the radicalization of girls from Kerala.
Union Minister Counters Vijayan’s Allegations
The debate has additionally seen Union Minister and BJP chief V Muraleedharan defending the movie as an expression of inventive freedom, sanctioned by the censor board and guarded beneath the Constitution’s ‘Right to Expression.’ “Right to Expression’ is given by the Constitution. Left has always been saying that we are for freedom of expression, then why they should be worried when such movies are being aired. The Left has been known for the absurd allegation,” he stated.
