New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) The ruling CPI(M) in Tripura isseeing red over a Hindi feature film called 'Lal Sarkar' whichthe party believes is a part of the BJP's electoral campaignin the state ahead of Assembly polls.
Scheduled to be released in the first week of February,'Lal Sarkar' - or the Red Government - is about a documentaryfilmmaker who discovers the alleged wrong-doings of the LeftFront-ruled government in the northeastern state.
Producer and writer Susheel Sharman held that the filmhad nothing to do with the BJP or the February 18 Assemblypolls, but was based on facts.
"I have used my own money to make this film. The BJP hasnothing to do with it. It is a commercial film, but based onfacts," Sharman said.
The CPI(M), however, insisted that the BJP was behind thefilm and questioned the timing of its release.
"In every constituency they have brought vehicles withbig screens. Why are they releasing the film in February, justbefore the elections? The producer may not say so, but the BJPis behind it," CPI(M) Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar toldPTI.
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.
Sharman, however, said BJP Member of Parliament BabulSupriyo had sung a song for free for the film.
"One of the songs has been sung by Babul Supriyo. He hasnot taken any money for the song. He treats me like hisyounger brother. We share a personal relationship that hasnothing to do with the BJP," Sharman said.
The producer added the film was to have been releasedlast month.
"We had planned the film almost two years ago. The filmwas supposed to have been released in December 2017, butpost-production work took a lot of time," he told PTI.
The producer said the idea for the feature film struckhim when he visited the state a few years ago to shootdocumentaries on tribal people.
"We went to tribal areas and made two documentaries onthe situation in Tripura. But we felt we could not reach outto the people only through documentaries," he said.
It was then that he decided to produce a feature filmthat would highlight "the plight of the people" of Tripura.
"Nobody in the country knows about the things which arehappening in Tripura. People don't even know where Tripura islocated," the producer said.
The film tells its story through a documentary filmmakerwho visits Tripura and sees alleged irregularities there. Itmentions the national scheme MNREGA, which Sharman alleged wasa scam in the state.
"Though the state government has claimed it hassuccessfully implemented the national rural scheme but inreality only 5 per cent work has been done. No one knows wherethe central fund has gone," Sharman claimed.
The Left party denied the allegation.
Dhar pointed out that Tripura had been awarded seventimes by the Central government for its performance.
"Why would the Central government give awards to us forMNREGA? For the last seven years, we are number one among thestates. We have been considered the best among all stateswhere MNREGA has been implemented successfully," Dhar said.
Though the CPI(M) said it did not think the film wouldhave an impact on the people of the state, the party wasconsidering complaining to the Election Commission.
The 110-minute film, directed by Abhijit Ashok Paul, issubtitled in Bengali and Kokborok, a tribal language ofTripura, and is the Delhi-based producer's first feature film.
PTI CSNBDS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.