BJP's Rajendra Rathore asks govt to make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore on Saturday asked the Congress-led Ashok Gehlot government to make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free in the state and said the movie is based on "true incidents".

The State Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs and party functionaries watched the movie which was released on May 5 in a cinema hall in Jaipur on Saturday. "The film is based on true incidents. There are many places in Rajasthan where we hear about conversions, especially in the tribal areas. I had requested the state government to make the film tax-free," said the BJP leader.

The BJP leader added that there is a message in the movie that if such incidents (conversions) take place in society, then it is our duty to stop them.

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh made the movie tax-free in their respective states on May 6 and May 9 earlier in the month.

The youth wing of the BJP, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) office bearers organised a screening of 'The Kerala Story' for women in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Friday.
While the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee imposed a ban on the movie citing law and order problems.

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the West Bengal government over banning the film 'The Kerala Story' saying the movie is running in different parts of the country with similar demographic profiles.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said the movie is being released all over the country and asked the West Bengal government why it should not allow the film to run.
The film depicts how thousands of young women were allegedly brainwashed into joining the Islamic State (IS) and heading off to countries like Syria and Afghanistan.

'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on May 5. (ANI)