The Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of the CPI (M), has come out in support to the crew of Vijay starrer Tamil movie Mersal.

Mersal is under attack from the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit for the dialogues referring to GST and Digital India in the movie.

In a press release issued in Kozhikode on Saturday DYFI president PA Mohammed Riyas said that it can't understand why the BJP is so antithetical to cinema dialogues critical of its government. It shows the BJP's fascist mentality.

"The party leaders threatening the film's producer and demanding that it be re-censored pose a challenge to freedom of expression," the release said, according  to The Hindu.

The released added,"The attempt to tarnish the reputation of the lead actor and his wife by calling their caste name is a matter of shame.”

Riyas told TNM that the DYFI will organize protests in various parts of Tamil Nadu against the BJP’s anti-democratic moves.

“What the BJP has been resorting to is constant attack on freedom of expression and such anti-democratic moves. The attack on Mersal is the latest among that. The wrath towards a movie dialogue that criticizes GST shows how intolerant the BJP is. It is the worst when it comes to real life situation. The murder of Gauri Lankesh was the last instance of such intolerance,” Riyas told TNM.

“What does it mean, there is no scope for opposing views? This trend to encroach freedom of expression is alarming, and we have never seen it before,” he said.