'The Kerala Story' to be exempted from tax in UP

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government will exempt 'The Kerala Story' from entertainment tax. This was announced on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The CM and his cabinet colleagues are also likely to watch the film at a special screening at the Lok Bhawan on May 12, after campaigning for ULB elections comes to an end, a government spokesperson said. The modalities of the screening and the list of invitees is being worked out, the official said.
UP is the second state to provide this sop, after Madhya Pradesh, even as the West Bengal government banned it in their state on Monday, citing possibility of "breach of peace".
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak welcomed the move, saying that this was a very good decision. “I want the people of UP to watch this film and understand how our sisters have suffered in other parts of the country, how they are being mistreated.
People should be vigilant and take steps to protect their families, culture and children while there is still time. We will also go and watch the film. What is happening in West Bengal is nothing, but divisiveness and people will not accept the ban on this film,” he said. The film, which opened to mixed reviews on May 5, has been generating controversy since the release of its trailer.
The filmmaker Sudipto Sen has publicised ‘The Kerala Story’ as a true story of girls being radicalised in Kerala and misled into joining organisations like ISIS, a premise which has generated a massive political storm with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan calling it propaganda even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to it during a campaign rally in the neighbouring state of Karnataka.