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Kolkata, May 16, 2023 (PPI-OT): The West Bengal government has submitted its response to the Indian Supreme Court regarding the ban imposed on the screening of the controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story’ within the state. The West Bengal government argued that the film contains hate speech and is based on manipulated facts, which could potentially lead to communal disharmony and law and order issues in the state.
Citing intelligence inputs, the West Bengal government expressed concerns that allowing the movie to be screened would have resulted in communal clashes. Consequently, the ban was implemented to prevent any incidents of hatred and violence within the state. The state government further stated that the Calcutta High Court is better equipped to understand the demographics of West Bengal. It emphasized that the parameters for maintaining law and order cannot be considered identical for two states under identical situations.
The West Bengal government announced its decision to ban ‘The Kerala Story’ on May 8. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the decision was taken to “maintain peace in Bengal” and avoid any incident of hate crime and violence.
‘The Kerala Story’, which has been surrounded by controversy ever since its trailer was released, is facing stiff protests in several states. The movie in its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing after being forcibly converted to Islam joined the militant group ISIS. Later, after severe criticism, the makers withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description.
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