Supreme Court halts West Bengal’s ban on anti-Muslim film - IAMC
Supreme Court

Supreme Court halts West Bengal’s ban on anti-Muslim film, tells Tamil Nadu to protect moviegoers

Offering protection to hate speech and propaganda, the Supreme Court halted West Bengal state’s ban on the anti-Muslim propaganda film “The Kerala Story” and ordered Tamil Nadu state to resume screenings while protecting Hindu supremacist moviegoers.

The court also added that the film should include a disclaimer stating that “there is no authenticated data to back up the suggestion on figure of conversion and the film represents the fictionalized version” of events.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continue to promote the film as fact, claiming that the movie exposes “terrorism” and an “anti-India plot.” Modi also mentioned the film during a hate speech-filled election campaign recently in Karnataka state. 

Hindu militant leader makes anti-Muslim hate speech to movie audience 

A leader of the violent Hindu militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sadhvi Prachi, was caught on video making an anti-Muslim speech inside a movie theater in Rajasthan state where “The Kerala Story” was being screened. 

Prachi addressed Hindu women in the audience, saying, “Daughters pay attention, these people (Muslims) are only 32 per cent… If they exceed 40 (percent of the population), it will be difficult for our daughters to go out. This is what ‘The Kerala Story’ is trying to explain.” 

Prachi also claimed that processions for the Hindu festival Ram Navami are “no longer allowed,” a blatantly false statement that ignores the widespread violent attacks Hindu extremists carried out against Muslims throughout India during the festival in 2022 and 2023. 

Prachi has been booked for her remarks. 

BJP leaders, militants protest land allotment for Muslim boys’ hostel in Rajasthan

In a move to infringe on Muslims’ right to create their own private establishments, BJP leaders and Hindu militants led a march and shut down a local market to protest the allotment of land in Rajasthan state’s Jaipur city for a Muslim boys’ hostel.

BJP leaders marched alongside members of the militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad, demanding that the project be shut down.

“Over 90 per cent of people living in the area are Hindus and work is going on to build a hostel for another community. This cannot be allowed,” said local BJP lawmaker Ramchandra Bohra.

“The [opposition party] is indulging in appeasement,” he alleged, using Hindu supremacist rhetoric to claim, falsely, that Muslims receive preferential treatment over Hindus.