Kerala minister slams ‘The Kerala Story’ sequel teaser as ‘propaganda’
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) (PTI): Kerala Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday criticised the teaser of the second part of the film 'The Kerala Story', alleging that it was aimed at "communal polarisation and undermining the state’s secular fabric."
In a Facebook post, Cherian said that from the very first impression, the film appeared to be yet another product of "the Sangh Parivar’s factory that manufactures lies without any connection to facts."
He alleged that the makers were attempting to portray Kerala, a model of secularism, as a "breeding ground for religious extremism in order to humiliate the state before the world."
"The repeated propagation of fake allegations such as ‘love jihad’ and hate-filled dialogues is a deliberate attempt to disrupt Kerala’s atmosphere of peace and harmony," the state culture minister said.
'Love jihad' is a term often used by right-wing outfits to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.
Cherian said freedom of expression was not a "licence to polarise the country or create divisions among people."
"Presenting as truth claims that have already been rejected by investigative agencies and courts is aimed solely at political gain," he said.
The minister asserted that Kerala would collectively resist such efforts.
"Kerala will stand united against attempts to reap political benefits by sowing the poisonous seeds of communal hatred," Cherian added.
Last week, the opposition had criticised Cherian over an alleged communal remark, pointing to the names of winners in the Kasaragod municipality and the Malappuram district panchayat following the local body elections.
The minister later apologised to the public for the comment, saying his words had been "distorted to make it appear as though they were directed at any group or community."
The teaser of 'Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, was released on Friday.
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BJP blaming Iran-Israel war for everything, says Akhilesh; questions foreign policy
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the BJP was blaming the Iran-Israel conflict for a range of domestic issues and said such claims were an attempt to hide policy failures.
Responding to a question on the impact of the West Asia situation on industries in Kanpur during a press conference here, Yadav said that the responsibility for the condition of industries lies with the BJP government.
"These people may now even say that the Ganga is not getting cleaned because of the war in West Asia," the former UP chief minister remarked.
He said the government was diverting attention from farmers' issues and bringing up unrelated matters.
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Referring to fertiliser shortages, he said that farmers had to stand in long queues and fertilisers were not available even earlier, and "now such shortages could be attributed to the Iran-Israel conflict".
He added that this was a failure of government policy and accused the BJP of shifting blame.
Yadav also said that potato farmers were not getting fair prices and alleged that the government might attribute this as well to the ongoing conflict.
On a question related to foreign policy and India's ties with the United States, Yadav said he would not like to comment in detail as his knowledge on the subject was limited, but noted that the influence of the US was visible in many areas.
"If one studies past speeches of leaders, including those from the opposition, after Independence, it would be clear what kind of foreign policy India should have pursued and how it has evolved over time," the leader of the third largest party in Lok Sabha noted.
Yadav also referred to discussions around foreign funding to NGOs and their possible influence on policies, but said these were "contentious issues" on which he would not like to comment further at present.
"Our immediate focus is on ensuring respect for PDA (Backward classes, Dalits and minorities), establishing the rule of social justice and removing the corrupt BJP from government," he said.
On a question related to claims about late night voting during polls in Andhra Pradesh in 2024 coming to light now, Yadav said that concerns had been raised about voting continuing late into the night in some instances.
"Our stance is clear on this matter. In several progressive and developed countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan and England, voting is done through ballots despite their advanced technological capabilities.
"In Germany, the use of electronic voting machines has even been considered unconstitutional," he said, and questioned the continued reliance on EVMs and VVPAT systems in India.
Yadav reiterated his party's stand in favour of returning to ballot voting, saying it would at least allow poorer voters to visibly express their choice.
"The poor cannot vent out their anguish against the government by just pressing the button of the EVM. Using the ballot stamp, they can properly vent out their anger," he said in a lighter vein.
On a separate question regarding student politics and demands for the revival of student unions in universities, Yadav said that if the Samajwadi Party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, it would send delegations of students from universities in the state to reputed global institutions such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
"These delegations would observe student union systems and share their experiences, and students from those institutions would also be invited to Lucknow for conferences to exchange ideas," he added.
