THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will seriously deal with the move to stifle freedom of expression in the state as free speech is a basic right enshrined in the Constitution, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Replying to a submission by M Mukesh, MLA in connection with the disruption of film shooting by Youth Congress activists in the wake of the protest of actor Joju George against the road blockade by the Congress, he said the state is a place where people can enjoy their rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
And any move to violate the constitutional rights of the citizen amounts to assault on constitutional rights and the state government would not treat it lightly. The state government has a clear stance on the issue and the recent incidents of disrupting shootings of various cinemas would be dealt with seriously, he said.
"There are some fascist forces in the country which dictate what people should eat or wear and what they should not do. We call them uncivilized anti-socials. If the same is experimented in Kerala, the government would treat such incidents as criminal acts, he warned. If someone strikes a dissenting note, the attitude that he/she should not be allowed to work or live in the state is a kind of intolerance and fascist approach which cannot be implemented in the state, he said.