The West Bengal government on Monday, May 8, announced its decision to ban the controversial film The Kerala Story, which tells the story of young women from Kerala who joined the terror outfit ISIS after being converted to Islam. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that the decision was taken to “avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state.” As per reports, the Bengal CM has directed the state Chief Secretary to ensure that the film is removed from screens in the state.
This move by the West Bengal government comes a day after the Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association announced their decision to stop screening The Kerala Story in the state from May 7. The announcement followed protests led by the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) demanding to halt the controversial film’s theatrical screenings in Tamil Nadu.
The Kerala Story, which was released on May 5, has been criticised for making false claims that thousands of women from Kerala were forcibly converted to Islam and recruited to the terror outfit ISIS.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had condemned the film and called the movie a product of the Sangh Parivar’s “lie factory.”
“Propaganda films and their otherisation of Muslims should be viewed in the context of various efforts made by the Sangh Parivar to gain an advantage in electoral politics in Kerala. Their usual tactics do not work in Kerala, so they are trying to spread their politics of division through the film based on fake stories,” he added.