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‘Mamata Banerjee is modern-day Jinnah’: BJP leader slams ‘The Kerala Story’ ban
The Kerala Story row: West Bengal, on Monday, became the first state to ban the controversial film, 'The Kerala Files'.
Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Tarun Chugh lashed out at Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday amid a political slugfest over 'The Kerala Story', calling her a 'modern-day Jinnah who creates hindrances in every nationalist work'. Chugh's rant comes after the Bengal government banned the controversial Sudipto Sen-directed film.
"Mamata Banerjee creates hindrances in every nationalist work in the country. She is modern-day Jinnah as she has problems with India's growth and objection to everything in the country," Chugh told news agency ANI.
Earlier, the BJP's Bengal MP Locket Chatterjee also slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress' decision and labelled Mamata Banerjee 'anti-Hindu, anti-India and anti-women'. "She is banning a film by Sudipto Sen, a Bengali filmmaker. She seeks votes in the names of Bengalis but bans a film on Muslims. This has been done for Muslim votes," Chatterjee said.
On Monday Bengal became the first state to ban the controversial 'The Kerala Story' after Mamata Banerjee banned screenings to avoid any 'incident of hatred and violence'.
The film has been declared tax-free in two states - Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, both of which are ruled by the BJP. Senior BJP leaders, including prime minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of MP and UP, have thrown their weight behind the film.
'The Kerala Story' claims to show the radicalisation and conversion (to Islam) of young Hindu women in Kerala. The film also claims to show how these women are then inducted into the Islamic State. Apart from the hugely controversial subject matter - opposition parties and the Kerala goverment have accused the film's makers (and the BJP) of divisive propaganda - 'The Kerala Story' was also slammed after its trailer claimed 32,000 women were converted.
After open calls challenging this detail, the film's makers changed this claim to say the film is about the 'true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala'.
Earlier today the Supreme Court said it would hear on Monday an urgent plea against the Kerala High Court's interim order declining to stay the release of 'The Kerala Story'.
