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‘Fascist fatwa’: BJP reacts sharply as Bengal becomes first state to ban ‘The Kerala Story’
The BJP reacted sharply to Mamata Banerjee's order to immediately ban the screening of 'The Kerala Story' in West Bengal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party reacted sharply to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's order to immediately ban the screening of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story' in West Bengal to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence”.
West Bengal became the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to the Islamic State or ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage.
Accusing the Trinamool Congress of doing “appeasement and vote bank politics", Union minister Anurag Thakur, said, “Their (opposition) face is getting exposed… By banning the film (The Kerala Story), West Bengal is committing injustice. Recently, only, a girl was raped and murdered in Bengal...what are you ( Mamata Banerjee) getting by standing up for such terrorists…”
In a statement, Thakur said, “Mamata Banerjee has done injustice to the sisters and daughters of West Bengal by banning the film. The manner in which an innocent girl is raped and dragged away in Mamata Banerjee's state puts us to shame. Such thinking gives strength to those terrorists. At least the whole country should come together against terrorism. It is beyond understanding why their sympathies are with terrorist organizations and not with these innocent girls of Kerala who were victims of terrorism. Today the whole country wants to ask her in one voice that why she has so much problem with a film focused on terrorism?"
Thakur added, “Those who consider this film as agenda-propaganda, I want to say to such advocates of terrorism that today every child of the country wants to know the story of Kerala which you have been hiding.”
Earlier in the day, Banerjee described 'The Kerala Story' as a distorted movie, aimed at defaming the southern state.
"To avoid any incident of hatred and violence and to maintain peace in the state, the CM has directed an immediate ban on screening of The Kerala Story. Action will be taken against any cinema hall that violates the ban," news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.
Reacting to the move, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said Banerjee wanted to deprive the people of Bengal of the “harsh reality”.
“CM @MamataOfficial 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,” Majumdar tweeted.
In another tweet, he wrote, “She want to deprive the people of WB,specially 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!”
“Another example of hinduphobia running deep within the ruling dispensation of West Bengal. The Supreme Court didn't ban the Kerala Story, but failure CM had to do it in order to appease her vote bank. @bjp4bengal will oppose this fascist fatwa issued by her.”
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “Mamata Banerjee should declare the film tax-free in West Bengal instead of banning it.”
There's a continuing political outcry around the movie even as it has been made tax-free in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
Raking up the 'Kashmir Files', a film on the alleged genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, which ran to packed houses despite evoking protests from the Opposition, the Bengal CM said, "What was 'The Kashmir Files'? It was meant purely to humiliate a particular section of society. What is 'The Kerala Story'? It is a distorted story."
The CM directed the state chief secretary to remove the movie from all theatres where it is being screened.
(With inputs from agencies)
