Amid spiralling controversy over the film 'The Kerala Story', the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday announced that the movie will be made tax-free in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government's move came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the film will be banned in the state as it may create unrest.
Bengal banned The Kerala Story
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday ordered an immediate ban on the screening of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story' in the state to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence”, a senior official said here.
Action will be taken against any theatre found showing the film which depicts how women from Kerala were converted to Islam and recruited by Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee described 'The Kerala Story' as a distorted movie, aimed at defaming the southern state.
The move triggered a war of words between the opposition BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The saffron camp accused the government of appeasing the minority community to serve its political interests, while the TMC charged the BJP with trying to create a “communal narrative” across the country ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"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' anywhere in West Bengal. There are scenes in this movie which could be dangerous to the peace and law and order of the state. Action will be taken against any cinema hall that violates the ban," the bureaucrat told PTI.
‘The Kerala Story’, directed by Sudipto Sen, was released across the country on May 5.
(With PTI Inputs)
