Mamata Banerjee govt defends ban on The Kerala Files in SC, says viewers make ‘objectional suggestions’ seeing Hindus tortured, ‘hate speech’ in movie hurts non secular feelings

On Tuesday, May 16, the West Bengal authorities led by CM Mamata Banerjee submitted an affidavit throughout which it defended a ban on the film The Kerala Story claiming that the movie accommodates ‘manipulated facts and hate speech’ in quite a few scenes and can harm the non secular sentiments leading to communal disharmony and pose a regulation and order situation. 

In its affidavit, the West Bengal authorities mentioned that it decided to ban the film’s screening throughout the state by invoking its statutory power beneath Section 6(1) of the West Bengal Cinema Regulation Act 1954 primarily based totally on intelligence information indicating that the ‘hate speech’ in quite a few scenes of the film “may hurt communal sentiments and cause disharmony between communities, which will eventually lead to a law and order situation.”

Moreover, the Mamata authorities moreover claimed that the viewers makes objectionable suggestions as soon as they see scenes throughout the movie the place Hindu and Christian ladies are tormented. It extra claimed that the moviegoers coming out of the theatres after watching the film talked about limiting their interaction with Muslims.

“During surveillance, it has been observed that the audience makes very objectionable comments whenever they see a particular scene where Hindu or Christian girls are seen tortured. It has also been observed that while coming out of movie halls people discuss among themselves to limit their interaction with Muslims and or that these Muslims ought to be taught a lesson,” the West Bengal authorities’s affidavit mentioned.

This comes after the Mamata Banerjee authorities on May 8 banned the discharge of The Kerala Story saying that it was carried out to “maintain peace”. While listening to the plea filed by The Kerala Story makers troublesome the ban, the Supreme Court on May 12 issued a uncover to the West Bengal authorities searching for to know the rationale behind banning the screening of The Kerala Story movie throughout the state. It questioned the state authorities as to why the movie can’t be screened peacefully throughout the state when it has been working with out factors within the the rest of the nation.

Earlier, OpIndia reported that the Tamil Nadu authorities claimed sooner than the Supreme Court on May 15 that there isn’t a such factor as a prohibition on screening of the film ‘The Kerala Story’ throughout the state. The CM MK Stalin-led authorities claimed in its affidavit that theatre householders chosen to not exhibit the film out of their very personal will due to a ‘poor response to the movie.