‘But you said…’: Union minister reacts as Left opposes DD's decision to air ‘The Kerala Story’

The Kerala government and opposition have both opposed Doordarshan's decision to telecast the Adah Sharma-starrer film.

Published on: Apr 5, 2024, 12:10:59 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Citing Left Democratic Front's (LDF) previous assertions declaring its support for freedom of expression, Union minister V Muraleedharan on Friday questioned Kerala's ruling alliance over its opposition to Doordarshan's (DD) decision to air “The Kerala Story.”

The story of ‘The Kerala Story’ movie revolves around the lives of three girls from the state who narrate their ordeal of being trapped in marriage after converting to Islam and taken to Afghanistan where they are forced to join terrorist outfit ISIS. (File Photo)

The public broadcaster will telecast the film today.

Questioning LDF, Muraleedharan said, “The Constitution gives the right to expression. Left has always been saying that they support freedom of expression. Then why should they be worried when such movies are being aired? ”

“The Kerala Story is a film which was given permission by the Censor board. It is a piece of art, and artistic experience is there in the movie,” the BJP leader added.

Earlier, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked DD to refrain from airing the Adah Sharma-starrer and Sudipto Sen-directed project, saying that its broadcast would only "exacerbate communal tensions" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has also objected to the film's upcoming telecast on Doordarshan.

“As you are aware, The Kerala Story is a propaganda film based on extremely false promises and attempts to paint a bleak picture of the people of the state. I believe this is part of Sangh Parivar's poisonous agenda to divide the country along communal lines,” Congress leader VD Satheesan, the state's top opposition leader, said in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and urged the poll panel to step in and direct DD to withdraw its decision to air the movie.

However, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have repeatedly endorsed “The Kerala Story.” Also, the movie, which faced judicial scrutiny but was eventually cleared for release, was made tax-free in several BJP-ruled states.

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HT News Desk
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