Supreme Court issues notice to West Bengal government and Tamil Nadu over ban on ‘The Kerala Story’

The Supreme Court of India has issued notice to the West Bengal government and Tamil Nadu on the plea of makers of the movie, ‘The Kerala Story’, challenging the decision to ban the screening of the movie in the respective states. The apex court bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud observed that the film is being exhibited across the country and there was no reason to ban it in West Bengal.

Directed by Sudipto Sen, ‘The Kerala Story’ tells the story of Hindu women from Kerala who were converted to Islam and trafficked to ISIS and other Islamic war zones in 2018-2019. The film has stirred political controversy, with opposition parties accusing the filmmakers of promoting BJP propaganda.

On May 8, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered an immediate ban on the screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ in the state to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence". Reacting to the ban, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said banning the film will not serve any purpose since the film is not against any community.

The Supreme Court has observed that the film is being exhibited in the rest of the country and there is no reason why it should be banned in West Bengal. The plea will be heard on May 17.