BALLARI: In a rally in Karnataka's Ballari on Friday, the PM referenced the "The Kerala Story" film in his speech and said, it "is under discussion these days; it is said the film reveals terror conspiracies in that State.
""The Kerala Story" film is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes the design of terrorists", the Prime Minister said claiming that Congress is standing with terrorists who are trying to ban the film.
"It is said the film is based on the terrorists' deceitful policies and conspiracies in just one state," Modi said.
"The Congress has kneeled down before terror outfits when in power...Congress never protected this country from terrorism. I am surprised to see that Congress has succumbed to terrorism for the sake of its vote bank. Can such a party ever save Karnataka?" PM Narendra Modi asked.
"To make Karnataka number one state in the country, law and order is important. Karnataka remaining free from terror is equally important. BJP has always been harsh against terror. But whenever there is action against terror, Congress will get a stomach ache," Modi said.
"With changing times, the nature of terror is also changing. Whether smuggling or drug trade or communal frenzy, all are somehow connected to terror," he said.
Highlighting that in the last few years, another dangerous form of terror has emerged, Modi said, "The sound of bombs and guns can at least be heard, but there won't be any sound to terror conspiracy. Even courts have expressed worry on this nature of terror," he said.
"The Kerala Story" starring Adah Sharma was released in cinemas on Friday and claims to "unearth" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing from Kerala.
According to the CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala, the film falsely claims that 32,000 women got converted and radicalised and were deployed in terror missions in India and the world.
Earlier in the day, the Kerala High Court refused to issue a stay order on the release of the film.
Stating that secular Kerala society will accept the film for what it is, the High Court today asked petitioners how the movie, which it observed is fiction and not history, would create sectarianism and conflict in the society.
The court sought to know whether the entire trailer was against society.
"Nothing will happen just because the film is screened. The teaser of the film was released in November. What was offensive in the film? What is wrong in saying that Allah is the only God? The country gives the citizen the right to believe in their religion and God and spread it. What was offensive in the trailer?", the court observed while considering a batch of petitions seeking to cancel the censor certificate of the film.
"So many movies have already come out about such organizations. There have been references against Hindu monks and Christian priests in many films before. Did you see all this in the way of fiction? What is so special now? How does this movie create sectarianism and conflict in society?" the court observed.
The Kerala High Court also noted that the producers have published a disclaimer along with the movie which specifically says that the film is a dramatised version of events and doesn't claim accuracy or factuality of historic events.
The petitioners argued that the film would inject poison into the minds of innocent people and added that no agency has yet detected the existence of the so-called 'Love jihad' in Kerala.
Happy our stand vindicated by none other than PM: 'The Kerala Story' producer Vipul Shah
"The Kerala Story" producer Vipul Shah on Friday said they are happy that none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vindicated their stand that the film is against terrorism and not any community.
Shah, who has produced the film and also serves as a creative director, said he is elated that the Kerala High Court refused to stay the film's release on Friday.
"What more can we ask on a day when first in the morning, the Kerala High Court gives such a lovely judgment and none other than the honorable Prime Minister talks about our film and he highlights the issue that we are trying to highlight through the film. We have been saying this is a film against terror, terrorism, it is not against any community, religion and that stand is vindicated by none other than the honorable Prime Minister," Shah told PTI.
The filmmaker said the court's order is an answer to everybody who was trying to target us" and tell us that "we have made this film under some kind of agenda".
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)