'The Kerala Story' not against any commmunity: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Banning the movie 'The Kerala Story' will not serve any purpose as the film is not against any community but against terrorism, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.

Sarma watched the movie with his family members and cabinet colleagues at a multiplex in Guwahati.

"I do not know what is happening in West Bengal but banning the film will not serve any purpose," Sarma told reporters.

The West Bengal government has banned the screening of the film in the state stating that it may cause law and order problems. "The film shows the conspiracy hatched against innocent girls, including those from the Muslim community. So, the decision to ban the film is, I think, wrong," he said.

"They have banned the film as they are under the impression that it is against the Muslim community but that is not true. They should have first seen the film before banning it. Then, they would have realised that the movie has nothing to do with religion," he said.

The CM said the movie exposes the "brutal designs of terrorist organisations in the name of religion".

Sarma appealed to the people of Assam to watch the film with their families, particularly with girl children. He also urged parents to keep a watch on children and with whom they forge friendships.

He thanked the producer, director and the cast of the film for presenting a movie on such an important issue.

The controversy around the Sudipto Sen-directed Hindi film, 'The Kerala Story' started after makers dropped the trailer, which claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist organisation, ISIS.