Kollywood, political parties lash out at BJP
CHENNAI: Political parties and the film fraternity in Tamil Nadu lashed out at the BJP on Saturday for trying to muzzle criticism and creative expression in the country, and rallied behind makers of film Mersal who have been asked by BJP leaders to remove scenes that “convey wrong impression” of GST.
As the issue is gathering steam P Chidambaram, DMK working president MK Stalin, and actors Kamal Haasan, Arvind Swamy and the TN Film Producers Association voiced their support for Mersal’s makers.
BJP’s TN chief Tamilisai Soundarrajan had on Thursday objected to scenes in the film that “convey wrong impression about GST and Digital India” and sought their removal.
The scenes mock the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Digital India initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While one scene com- pares the GST in India and Singapore, another takes a potshot at the Digital India initiative.
Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram took a dig at the BJP saying , “Notice to film makers: Law is coming, you can only make documentaries prais- ing the government’s policies.”
Union minister of state, Pon Radhakrishnan, the lone BJP MP in Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu, reiterated Soudarrajan’s demand, asking if a film was meant for everyone, why was it attacking only one party?
“Does that mean that Chidambaram has funded the movie? But we are not saying this at all. There are factual inaccuracies in the film that need to be deleted,” he said.
DMK’s Stalin too hit out at the BJP’s efforts. “The DMK always stands for freedom of speech and creative expression,” he tweeted.
“Mersal was certified. Don’t re-censor it. Counter criticism with logical response. Don’t silence critics. India will shine when it speaks,” Kamal Haasan tweeted.