The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Political row over Doordarshan’s decision to screen
LDF, UDF accuse Centre of sanctioning the broadcast to cause communal polarisation in State with an eye on Hindu votes in the Lok Sabha election. Those opposed to the film’s beaming are scared of dissenting points of view, says BJP
Apolitical row has broken out in Kerala over the national broadcaster Doordarshan’s contentious decision to beam the allegedly Islamophobic movie The Kerala Story.
Democratic Youth Federation of India activists attempted to storm the precincts of the Doordarshan Kendra here on Friday demanding that the broadcaster rescind its decision and apologise.
The dispute has found the ruling Left front and the Congressled Opposition on the same page for once. The Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front have accused the BJPled Union government of sanctioning the movie’s broadcast to stoke sectarian divisions and cause communal polarisation in Kerala with an eye on Hindu votes in the Lok
Sabha election.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan have separately demanded that Doordarshan cease beaming the movie.
Satheesan moves EC
On Friday, Mr. Satheesan moved the Election Commission of India (EC) to bar Doordarshan from broadcasting the movie.
He termed the production “poisonous Sangh Parivar propaganda” garbed as a feature film based on utterly false premises and devious hyperbole.
The leaders said the movie insulted the people of
Kerala and sought to scuttle the State’s secular and democratic polity. They pointed out that the screening of the movie triggered protests and caused communal tension across the country in 2023.
Mr. Satheesan said Doordarshan’s notification that it would air the film on
April 5 evening violated the model code of conduct.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said those opposed to the film’s beaming seemed scared of contrarian and dissenting points of view. “They are free to approach the EC. The Censor Board had cleared the film for screening,” he said.
HC declines plea
The High Court on Friday declined to pass an interim order against the broadcast of the film The Kerala Story on Doordarshan. The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by K.G. Suraj of Thiruvananthapuram, seeking a directive not to air the film on Doordarshan till the Lok Sabha election was over. The petitioner alleged that airing of the film would propagate religious terrorism and polarise voters during the election time.