Supreme Court stays West Bengal govt ban on 'The Kerala Story', asks makers to add disclaimer
New Delhi, May 18: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the ban imposed by the West Bengal Government on the film 'The Kerala Story'.
"Prohibition by West Bengal is not tenable. The order of the Additional Secretary of West Bengal shall remain stayed," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said. The Supreme Court also directed the makers of 'The Kerala Story' to give a proper disclaimer regarding the unsubstantiated figure '32,000' mentioned in the film.
Directed by Sudipto Sen, the movie sparked a controversy by alleging that 32,000 women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS. The critics described it a claim without evidence.
The court said the disclaimer that must be added by 5 pm on Saturday, should say that "there is no authenticated data to back up the suggestion on the figure of conversion and the film represents the fictionalised version".
As for the alleged 'shadow ban' in Tamil Nadu, the SC said, "In TN, additional security can be provided for every cinema hall and requisite arrangements can be made for moviegoers who want to see the film. No steps shall be taken by TN or its officers or instrumentalities including police to prevent the screening of the film."
- With inputs from agencies
