Kozhikode/Kannur (Kerala) | The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Tuesday continued its attack against the controversial Hindi film, 'The Kerala Story'. The party claimed that the film was "BJP sponsored" and part of the "Sangh Parivar agenda" to divide people and create animosity among them in the state.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan alleged that the film, which is portrayed as "unearthing" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing from Kerala, was an attempt of the BJP and RSS to poison the minds of the people.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Govindan urged the public to resist such efforts by working together with each other.
State Public Works and Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas referred to the press conference held a day earlier by BJP state chief K Surendran and said that it clearly indicated that the movie was "sponsored" by the saffron party.
"It is also clear from the press conference of the BJP state president that it (movie) is a Sangh Parivar agenda to divide the people and create animosity among them," the minister told reporters.
Riyas said that the BJP and Sangh Parivar were trying to spew venom in Kerala society whose secular mindset and friendly attitude was one of the major reasons -- besides the natural beauty and historical places in the state -- for around 1.58 crore tourists from across India and the world visiting the southern state.
He said the growth seen in Kerala's tourism sector was not seen anywhere else in the country.
Riyas alleged that the attempts to "distort and defame" the image of the state was supported by the BJP state president in his press conference.
Surendran, on Monday, held a press conference in Kozhikode where he claimed that recruitment to the Islamic State (IS) terror outfit from Kerala could not be denied and that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was aware of the exact figures.
"IS has a very strong presence in Kerala... You cannot deny the IS recruitment from the state," the BJP leader claimed, adding that if the figures cited in the film were the bone of contention, then that could be discussed.
"The Chief Minister knows the exact figures of IS recruitment," he claimed.
The BJP leader contended that if IS and terrorism did not have a presence in the state then why would a man come from Uttar Pradesh to Kerala to set a train on fire. He was referring to the recent incident in which a passenger on a train in Kerala poured petrol on three others and set fire to them.
'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, is set to be released in cinemas on May 5. Written and directed by Sudipto Sen.
According to the CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala, the film falsely claims that 32,000 women got converted, radicalised and were deployed in terror missions in India and the world.
