Uttar Pradesh Government Makes “The Kerala Story” Tax-Free Amidst Controversy
Rajnandini Malladeb
Lucknow, 9th May 2023: The state government of Uttar Pradesh has announced that the movie “The Kerala Story” will not be subject to taxes. The decision was made by CM Yogi Adityanath amidst a heated debate that has been raging against the movie, which has been charged with promoting communal and divisive ideologies.
Following Madhya Pradesh, ‘The Kerala Story’ will no longer be subject to sales tax in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister, has directed that this movie be tax-free. Additionally, CM Yogi and his cabinet will watch the movie together. On May 12th in Lucknow, the Chief Minister will watch “The Kerala Story” with his whole cabinet.
Earlier, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had also made “The Kerala Story” tax-free. Now the Yogi government has taken a similar decision. However, there is also controversy regarding the film as the screening of the movie has been banned in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Mamta Banerjee’s government has also banned the film in West Bengal.
Regarding this issue, UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said, “It is a good decision to make this film tax-free. The people of Uttar Pradesh want to see the film and understand how our brothers and sisters have suffered. We will watch the film.”
Supporters of the movie have praised the decision, viewing it as a triumph for artistic freedom and speech. The government of Uttar Pradesh has also received recognition for its support of the arts and culture.
Aravindan Nair’s controversial book of the same name, written by journalist Juggernaut, served as the inspiration for the movie. Many people in the film industry and in civic society have applauded the decision to exclude the movie from taxes, viewing it as a constructive move towards encouraging artistic freedom and diversity.
