Kerala minister slams ‘The Kerala Story’ sequel teaser as ‘propaganda’

Kerala Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday criticised the teaser of the second part of the film 'The Kerala Story', alleging that it was aimed at ''communal polarisation and undermining the state's secular fabric.'' In a Facebook post, Cherian said that from the very first impression, the film appeared to be yet another product of ''the Sangh Parivar's factory that manufactures lies without any connection to facts.'' He alleged that the makers were attempting to portray Kerala, a model of secularism, as a ''breeding ground for religious extremism in order to humiliate the state before the world.'' ''The repeated propagation of fake allegations such as 'love jihad' and hate-filled dialogues is a deliberate attempt to disrupt Kerala's atmosphere of peace and harmony,'' the state culture minister said. 'Love jihad' is a term often used by right-wing outfits to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage. Cherian said freedom of expression was not a ''licence to polarise the country or create divisions among people.'' ''Presenting as truth claims that have already been rejected by investigative agencies and courts is aimed solely at political gain,'' he said. The minister asserted that Kerala would collectively resist such efforts. ''Kerala will stand united against attempts to reap political benefits by sowing the poisonous seeds of communal hatred,'' Cherian added. Last week, the opposition had criticised Cherian over an alleged communal remark, pointing to the names of winners in the Kasaragod municipality and the Malappuram district panchayat following the local body elections. The minister later apologised to the public for the comment, saying his words had been ''distorted to make it appear as though they were directed at any group or community.'' The teaser of 'Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, was released on Friday.

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