KOLLAM: Following the screening of the controversial film 'Kerala Story’ at Idukki Diocese on Sunday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the issue on Tuesday, emphasizing that the Sangh Parivar's targeting of minorities extends beyond Muslims.
"RSS is targeting our minority communities. RSS is trying to turn one section of the community against another. Don't fall into that trap, and don't be a part of the Sangh Parivar agenda. This movie is said to be the story of Kerala. But it is full of blatant lies. Kerala is a land of brotherhood. We have been trying to develop such a country since the Renaissance period," said the Chief Minister.,’’ stated the Chief Minister during a media briefing in Kollam.
Critiquing the screening of such films as an attempt to malign Kerala's image, he added, "They seek to portray Kerala as a hotbed of communalism, which couldn't be further from the truth. Ours is a society where people of all castes and creeds coexist peacefully.
The Idukki diocese of the Syro Malabar church screened the film as part of an awareness session for students in classes on Sunday. As per church officials, a film was screened to raise awareness among children against teenagers being lured by love and being misused. The screening of the film brought criticism from both the UDF and LDF camps. However, the NDA camp welcomed the screening of the film.
Meanwhile, he attacked the UDF candidate, N.K. Premachandran, by stating that Premachandran is an opportunistic person. ‘’ I don’t know whether he will shift to the BJP after the election. He is an opportunistic person; it will remain to be seen whether he will switch to the BJP or not,’’ the CM said.
After the Idukki diocese, youth organisations associated with two more dioceses in Kerala have decided to screen 'The Kerala Story'.
The Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) units associated with the Thalassery archdiocese and the Thamarassery diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church announced that they would screen the movie.
The KCYM units of the two north Kerala dioceses said in separate Facebook posts that the film 'The Kerala Story' was not banned and congratulated the Idukki diocese for exhibiting it for its children studying in Classes 10, 11, and 12.
"The movie will be exhibited in all units of the KCYM in Thamarassery diocese," the organisation said in a Facebook post.
(With inputs from PTI)
