- The ruling party’s MLAs, MPs, councillors, office-bearers and workers including members of its women’s cell attended the screenings in Ahmedabad
- Assam Chief Minister urges people to watch it, “particularly along with their daughters”
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slams the makers for their exaggerated claims
NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, MAY 11
BJP MLAs have advocated for tax exemption for director Sudipto Sen’s film ‘The Kerala Story’ in Gujarat, citing the importance of addressing the depicted realities and increasing public awareness.
The controversy around ‘The Kerala Story’ continues in several states of India. The film has triggered a massive political row with various leaders reacting to ‘The Kerala Story’. Meanwhile, West Bengal Government banned the screening of the state, whereas, in BJP ruled states it is tax-free. Despite all the controversy, the film performs well on boxoffice.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Ahmedabad city unit on Thursday organised screenings of the controversial film “The Kerala Story” for its workers at two multiplexes in the city.
While the party’s city unit president and MLA Amit P Shah was among those who watched the film at two screens at a multiplex on Ashram Road, another screening was organised in Maninagar area by local MLA Amul Bhatt, said a release by the BJP.
The ruling party’s MLAs, MPs, councillors, office-bearers and workers including members of its women’s cell attended the screenings.
“Our objective behind organising screenings of this movie is to make women aware about this issue. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our women do not get trapped in love jihad. We will also urge Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to make this movie tax-free in Gujarat so that more people can watch it,” he said.
Gujarat BJP spokesperson Rutvij Patel, who watched the film at one of the screenings, said the party was making efforts to ensure that the movie reached the masses as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed people to watch it.
“This film is about how women from Kerala were brainwashed by the terror outfit ISIS which pushed them into terrorism….BJP will make sure that maximum number of women watch it,” he said.
Incidentally, ‘Kashmiri Files’ was screened in all parts of Gujarat by the ruling party.
The team of ‘The Kerala Story,’ comprising producer Vipul Shah, lead actor Adah Sharma and director Sudipto Sen, met UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and praised the UP government’s law against forced conversion.
As soon as the teaser of the movie dropped, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called it Sangh Parivar’s propaganda, while Kerala Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed the makers for their exaggerated claims. “This is not our Kerala story,” Tharoor said. BJP leaders on the other hand threw their weight behind the movie with PM Modi mentioning it at a campaign in Karnataka ahead of the elections.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday watched the film with his Cabinet ministers and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs. He lauded the film for what it portrays and urged people to watch it, “particularly along with their daughters”.
