CPI(M) and Congress oppose Doordarshan’s decision to broadcast ‘The Kerala Story’

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala on Friday lodged separate complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Doordarshan’s decision to air the controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story’, alleging it could potentially polarise society along religious lines and urged the poll panel to intervene and stop its screening. The BJP claimed that the theme of the movie was real and wondered why the Left and the Congress were opposing it.

Doordarshan has announced that the movie will be telecasted on April 5. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), expressed strong protest on Friday against the decision to telecast the movie and said it would organise a protest march to the Doordarshan office in the state capital. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, sent a letter to the Election Commission today, seeking to direct Doordarshan to withdraw from its decision to telecast “the extremely malicious ‘The Kerala Story’ movie”.

“As you are aware, ‘The Kerala Story’ is a propaganda film based on extremely false promises and attempts to paint a bleak picture of the people of the state. I believe this is part of Sangh Parivar’s poisonous agenda to divide the country along communal lines,” Satheesan said in his letter. He said the decision by the Central government to telecast the movie through Doordarshan before the Lok Sabha election is a tacit effort to divide society on religious grounds to further the electoral prospects of the ruling BJP.

“The decision of Doordarshan is a direct insult to the people of Kerala. It is also in violation of model poll conduct, which forbids any effort to divide society on religious lines,” the senior Congress leader said.

CPI(M) state secretary, M V Govindan said the timing of the proposed telecast, on the brink of elections, that too when the campaigning is gaining heightened momentum, gives rise to genuine doubts, as it has the propensity to garner/generate votes for candidates pursuing

sectarian ideologies.