Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday slammed the makers of 'The Kerala Story' film, claiming that it is a propaganda film aimed at communal polarisation and conducting a hatred campaign against Kerala
CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the trailer of the Hindi film, at first glance, appears to be "deliberately produced" with the alleged aim of creating communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against the state.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday slammed the makers of 'The Kerala Story' film, claiming that it is a propaganda film aimed at communal polarisation and conducting a hatred campaign against Kerala
In a statement, Vijayan said that the trailer of the Hindi film, at first glance, appears to be "deliberately produced" with the alleged aim of creating communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against the state. "What is seen in the trailer, that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted to Islam and recruited to the Islamic State is an absolute lie. Such a story is the product of Sangh Parivar's lie factory," he said.
Making 'love jihad', an allegation that has been rebuffed by the Union Home Ministry, investigating agencies and the courts, as its premise, is part of such orchestrated efforts, he said in his statement.
He added that such propaganda films and the alienation of Muslims depicted in them should be viewed in the context of Sangh Parivar's efforts to gain political advantage in Kerala. He also accused the Sangh Parivar of trying to destroy the religious harmony in the state by "sowing the poisonous seeds of communalism".
"The Sangh Parivar's tried and tested tactics have not borne fruit in Kerala, and hence they are trying to promote their divisive politics through films that rely on false narratives. Such tall tales cooked up by the Sangh Parivar have no basis in fact or evidence," he further said.
Stating that freedom of expression is not a license to spread lies, communalise the society, and divide the people, he also said, "I urge all Keralites to reject such divisive and sectarian moves. Everyone should remain vigilant against the communal tactics that seek to unsettle our peaceful society through fake propaganda. Legal measures will be taken against antisocial moves."
A couple of days ago, both the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress hit out at the controversial upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story', saying freedom of expression was not a licence to spew venom in society, and the film was an attempt to destroy the communal harmony of the state.
'The Kerala Story', written and directed by Sudipto Sen, is portrayed as "unearthing" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing in the southern state.
(With inputs from PTI)