'The Kerala Story' screened on Doordarshan despite protests

CM Vijayan had asked Doordarshan to withdraw screening of 'The Kerala Story.'

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala and the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front have vehemently opposed Doordarshan’s decision to telecast the controversial film The Kerala Story on Friday night.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday had demanded that Doordarshan not telecast the film. “The BJP government at the Centre was misusing the national broadcasting platform for their vested interests, especially when the elections are approaching. The film was made with the purpose of defaming Kerala and to ignite communal hatred,” he said.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress urged the Election Commission to prevent Doordarshan from broadcasting the film. “The Kerala Story is a propaganda film and the decision to telecast the film when the elections are nearing is part of Sangh Parivar agenda,” he alleged.

On Friday, CPM’s youth outfit, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, took out a protest march to the Doordarshan Kendra in Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran said that the CPM and Congress leaders who often support freedom of artistic creativity are now opposing the film. “The ruling and Opposition parties are trying to divert attention from real issues affecting the people by making a hue and cry over the film,” he said.

The Congress and CPM had strongly opposed the movie even during its release in last May. In a trailer of the movie, a character named Shalini Unnikrishnan says there are 32,000 women like her who have joined ISIS and are currently in Afghanistan jail. The character also says that a deadly game was being played openly to convert ordinary girls into dreaded terrorists in Kerala.

The teaser was later withdrawn from social media after several persons approached the Kerala High Court. However, the court did not stay the release of the film, citing that it was a fictional one and its trailers do not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.

Petition declined

A petition against wDoordarshan broadcasting the film was declined by the Kerala High court on Friday. Hence the film was aired by Doordarshan as scheduled.