"BJP is behind this, directly or indirectly": Congress MP K Suresh on 'L2: Empuraan' backlash

New Delhi [India], April 1 (ANI): Congress MP K Suresh on Tuesday alleged that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is allegedly behind the growing backlash against the recently released Mohanlal starrer 'L2: Empuraan.'
While talking to ANI, K Suresh highlighted the film's message and claimed that it resonates with the current stand of the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"The BJP is behind this, indirectly or directly, against the world-famous film. Within days, the film has come close to 200 crore. The film reveals the Gujarat right and communal forces, how they influence the people of this country, and how the communal spread throughout the country. How will criminal forces benefit from this riot? That is the message. It is a very important film. So people must understand what is going on in this country, how the communal forces are taking advantage through the riot and the polarisation and also the rule of the society. So it is emphasising that feeling." said the Congress MP .
The Congress leader also blamed the BJP-led Union government for imposing cuts in the film through the Central Board Film Certificate (CBFC), as it is a government agency.
"This BJP RSS is very much know what is their stand and what are they doing in this society. That's why Kerala BJP and also the national leadership of BJP, through the central board of certification (CBFC), which is a government agency, are asking to cut the seven cuts, 73 minutes of seven portions is cutting, and three minutes totally changed." said Suresh.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly condemned the Sangh Parivar for "unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns" against the Malayalam film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The Chief Minister, who watched the movie on Saturday said that the Sangh Parivar leaders are angered about the film because it referenced "one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen."
"I saw the film Empuraan, which is leading the Malayalam film industry to new heights. I saw the film at a time when the Sangh Parivar is unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns against the film, its actors and crew," Vijayan wrote in Malayalam in a post on social media platform Facebook .
"The fact that the film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen has angered the Sangh Parivar, its planners. Not only the followers, but even leaders of the BJP and RSS are raising public threats."
The Chief Minister said that violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes.
"There have even been reports that the producers are being forced to re-censor and edit the film under this pressure. This atmosphere of fear created by the Sangh Parivar is worrying. It is not a good thing for democracy for communalists to destroy a work of art and viciously attack artists just because it has taken a stand against communalism and depicted its horror," he said.
"In a democratic society, the freedom of expression of a citizen must be protected. Violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes. They are a violation of democratic rights. The rights to make films, watch them, enjoy them, evaluate them, agree and disagree, etc., must not be lost. For this, the united voice of this country, which is rooted in democratic secular values, must be raised."
Meanwhile, the production team of 'Empuraan' has announced that the film will undergo revisions in response to the controversy. According to reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, will be edited out.
Mohanlal also issued a statement acknowledging that certain aspects of the film had caused distress to some of his fans and assured that the team had decided to remove such references.
Despite the backlash, 'Empuraan' has achieved remarkable success at the box office. The film, which hit theatres on March 27, became the first Malayalam movie to gross Rs 80 crore worldwide on its opening weekend. (ANI)