No order issued imposing "shadow or implicit" ban on 'The Kerala Story': TN govt tells SC
New Delhi, May 16: The Tamil Nadu government has told the Supreme Court it has not issued any order imposing a "shadow or implicit ban" on 'The Kerala Story', a multilingual film that has triggered a massive controversy over religious conversion.
It said despite the state providing necessary security to theatres and multiplexes, their owners decided to stop exhibiting the film from May 7 because of lack of enthusiastic response from the general public.
The state government, in its reply to the petition filed by the makers of the film alleging a de-facto ban in the state, said amidst objections and protests the movie was released in 19 multiplexes throughout Tamil Nadu on May 5.
"The film was heavily criticized after its release, with some Muslim organizations alleging that the film spreads "anti-Muslim hate" and "Islamophobia" among the common public and has been produced solely with the intent to polarize other religions against Muslim," it said.
Questioning the maintainability of the plea filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the state government said, "It is submitted that the government of Tamil Nadu has not issued any order banning the public exhibition of the film, nor is there a de-facto ban on the film in the state".
Article 32 of the Indian Constitution gives the right to individuals to move to the Supreme Court to seek justice when they feel they have been deprived of their fundamental rights.
The affidavit, filed through Additional Advocate General (AAG) Amit Anand Tiwari, said on the contrary, the state, by issuing alerts and deploying police personnel for the protection of the theatres which screened the film, has effectuated meaningful exercise of the right of the petitioners to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
It said adequate police protection provided by the state facilitated the theatre owners to screen the film throughout Tamil Nadu on May 5 and 6 despite backlash from certain Muslim organisations.
"However, due to the lack of reception from the general public, theatre and multiplex owners of the state decided to stop exhibiting the film from May 7," it said, adding the content of the petition alleging that the state has imposed a "shadow or implicit ban" on the film is false and baseless, and is vehemently denied.
The state government said, "It is submitted that motivated by malafide intentions and in an attempt to seek publicity, the petitioners have made false and sweeping allegations against the Respondent-4 (Tamil Nadu) despite the fact that the state is discharging its positive obligation to create and maintain conditions in which the film can be screened."
It said exhibitors have themselves stopped the screening of the movie due to the poor audience response and the government cannot do anything to increase the audience patronage for the film, except to provide security to the cinema theatres.
The state government added that on May 5, demonstrations, agitations and picketing were held in 19 places by various Muslim organisations, and on May 6, demonstrations took place at seven places in Chennai and Coimbatore. A total of nine cases, including five in Chennai and four in Coimbatore, were registered against the protesters.
The affidavit filed by additional director general of police (law and order) of the state said on May 5, the DGP of Tamil Nadu had issued instructions to all commissioners of police and district superintendents of police to provide adequate security and protection to every cinema hall that screened the film.
"The state has made adequate arrangements for security to facilitate the screening of the film, and to ensure that the theatre owners, viewers and audience are not endangered. Over 965 police personnel, including 25 DSPs, were posted for the protection of the 21 movie theatres which had screened the film," it said.
The affidavit said in view of the inputs received from reliable sources, the state intelligence on April 26 and May 3, issued alerts to the SPs in districts and commissioners of police in cities for keeping a close vigil on the law and order situation.
'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on May 5. Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film claims women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).
On May 12, the top court had sought replies of the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments on a plea of the producers that the movie is not being shown in theatres in these two states.
While West Bengal banned the movie after three days of screening in theatres, Tamil Nadu has not banned the film but the exhibitors have withdrawn from cinema halls owing to security concerns.
The top court had asked the Tamil Nadu government to specify measures taken to provide adequate security to theatres screening the film.
"The state government cannot say that it will look the other way when theatres are attacked and chairs are being burnt," the apex court had told Tiwari after he submitted that there is no ban on the movie in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
