In Tripura, Left claims film on ‘govt missteps’ is a BJP plant
NEW DELHI: The ruling CPI(M) in Tripura is seeing red over a Hindi feature film called Lal Sarkar which the party believes is a part of the BJP’s electoral campaign in the state ahead of Assembly polls.
Scheduled to be released in the first week of February, Lal Sarkar (Red Government) is about a documentary filmmaker who discovers alleged wrong-doings of the Left Front-ruled government in the state.
Producer and writer Susheel Sharman held that the film had nothing to do with the BJP or the upcoming assembly polls, but was based on facts.
Sharman said the idea for the feature film struck him when he visited the state a few years ago to shoot documentaries on tribal people.
“We went to tribal areas and made two documentaries on the situation in Tripura. But we felt we could not reach out to the people only through documentaries,”
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In every constituency they have brought vehicles with big screens. Why are they releasing the film in February, just before the elections? The producer may not say so, but the BJP is behind it (the film).
BIJAN DHAR, CPI(M) Tripura state secretary
he said.
“I have used my own money to make this film. The BJP has nothing to do with it. It is a commercial film, but based on facts,” Sharman added.
The film tells its story through a documentary filmmaker who visits Tripura and sees alleged irregularities there. It mentions the national scheme MNREGA, which Sharman alleged was a scam in the state.
“Though the state government has claimed it has successfully implemented the national rural scheme but in reality only 5% work has been done. No one knows where the central fund has gone,” Sharman claimed.
The Left party denied the allegation. The CPI(M), however, insisted that the BJP was behind the film and questioned the timing of its release.
“In every constituency they have brought vehicles with big screens. Why are they releasing the film in February, just before the elections? The producer may not say so, but the BJP is behind it,” CPI(M) Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar told PTI.
The BJP denied it was in any way connected with the film.
“It’s completely untrue that the BJP is behind the film. But if the film shows the truth about the Tripura government, I welcome it,” said Sunil Deodhar, in-charge of Tripura BJP.