PM Modi cites 'The Kerala Story', says Congress backing terrorism by opposing film

BALLARI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a poll rally in Karnataka on Friday launched an attack on the Congress and accused the Opposition party of opposing "The Kerala Story" film, which he said exposed the consequences of terrorism.

"'The Kerala Story' film is based on a terror conspiracy. It shows the ugly truth of terrorism and exposes the design of terrorists", the PM said adding that Congress is standing with terrorists who are trying to ban the film.

Addressing a rally in Ballari ahead of the upcoming May 10 elections in Karnataka, the Prime Minister also accused the Congress party for shielded terrorism for the vote bank.

"Congress is opposing the film made on terrorism and standing with terror tendencies. Congress has shielded terrorism for the vote bank", PM Modi said.

"The Congress has kneeled down before the terror outfits when in power. We have suffered because of the violence for very long and the Congress never protected this country from terrorism. I am surprised to see that Congress has succumbed to terrorism for the sake of its vote bank. Can such a party ever save Karnataka?," PM Modi said.

Security system, law and order is the most important requirement to make Karnataka number one state of country, the prime minister said. "It is equally important for Karnataka to remain free from terrorism. BJP has always been tough against terrorism. But Congress gets stomach ache whenever action is taken on terrorism," PM Modi said.

The prime minster also attacked the Congress manifesto released for the Karnataka polls which promised to ban organisations like the Bajrang Dal.

"The Congress is shuddering to see the support we are getting. They get scared even if I say Jai Bajrangbali," PM Modi said.

Lashing out at the Congress the prime minister said that the Congress had long back accepted that it's an 85 per cent commission party. "Congress' former PM Rajiv Gandhi himself told that his government sent 100 paise from Delhi, but only 15 paise reached the poor. In a way, he himself accepted that Congress is a party with 85 per cent commission," the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court today refused to issue a stay order on the release of 'The Kerala Story'.

Asserting that secular Kerala society will accept the film for what it is, the High Court today asked petitioners how the movie, which it observed is fiction and not history, would create sectarianism and conflict in the society.

The court sought to know whether the entire trailer was against society.

"Nothing will happen just because the film is screened. The teaser of the film was released in November. What was offensive in the film? What is wrong in saying that Allah is the only God? The country gives the citizen the right to believe in their religion and God and spread it. What was offensive in the trailer?", the court observed while considering a batch of petitions seeking to cancel the censor certificate of the film.

"So many movies have already come out about such organizations. There have been references against Hindu monks and Christian priests in many films before. Did you see all this in the way of fiction? What is so special now? How does this movie create sectarianism and conflict in society?", the court observed.

The petitioners argued that the film would inject poison into the minds of innocent people and added that no agency has yet detected the existence of 'Love Jihad' in Kerala.

Helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film has triggered a massive political row with various leaders reacting to the upcoming movie.

'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The trailer of Sen's film 'The Kerala Story' came under fire as it claimed that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, ISIS. Faced with backlash the makers then withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description.

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