With the Supreme Court staying the ban on The Kerala Story in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress said on Thursday that the opposition should not blame the ruling party if any issue arises due to the screening of the controversial Hindi film. The TMC maintained that the state government had imposed ban on the film apprehending tension among the communities.
"As the Supreme Court passed an order, the film will be screened again. Now if there are issues due to the film screening, the opposition should not blame us,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stayed the ban on the film in West Bengal and also directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure the safety of moviegoers after theatre owners decided to stop screening the film due to security concerns. It is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order as the film has been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), said a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
The top court also directed the producer to put a disclaimer in the movie by 5 pm on May 20 that there is no data to back its claim that 32,000 women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and join the Islamic State.
Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to the Islamic State terror camp after being converted to Islam. The film has sparked off a political outrage with the opposition parties, including the Congress and the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, terming it an 'RSS propaganda' to defame a particular community.
The Mamata Banerjee government banned the screening of the film on May 8, following which its makers knocked the doors of the Supreme Court. The court, while hearing the petitions, noted that statutory provisions cannot be used to put a premium on public intolerance.
