Uttar Pradesh declares The Kerala Story tax-free, CM Yogi to watch with entire cabinet

People walk past the poster of the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ outside a cinema hall, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday declared the recently released film The Kerala Story tax-free in the State. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while announcing the decision, also added that he would watch the movie with the entire State cabinet at a special screening in Lucknow on May 12.

“ The Kerala Story will be made tax-free in Uttar Pradesh,” reads a tweet posted from the official Twitter handle of the CM Office. Uttar Pradesh becomes the second State after Madhya Pradesh to make the controversial film tax-free.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders praised the movie with Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya saying the movie shows the truth which every citizen of India should watch and ponder about the circumstances in Kerala today.

Also read: West Bengal’s ban on  The Kerala Story an ‘attack on freedom of expression’, says filmmaker Ashoke Pandit

“ The Kerala Story is a very good and truthful film and hence it has been decided to make it tax-free in U.P. I will appeal to the people of the State to watch this film and I too will watch this movie after the end of the election campaign,” said Mr. Maurya.

The plot of the controversial movie is based on the large-scale conversion of Hindu women in Kerala and their subsequent involvement in terrorist activities by joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Opposition parties criticised it for promoting the love jihad conspiracy theory, and the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.