Police in Kerala have sought legal advice on a complaint. About a movie teaser that is sparking controversy in the southern Indian state.
In the teaser, an actress claims her character is one among 32,000 women. From the state who converted into Islamic terrorists.
A journalist has written to the state’s chief minister seeking an inquiry. Some politicians also asked to ban the movie.
The office of the chief minister referred the letter to the police. That written by Arvindakshan BR.
What Police Say?
“Investigation has started. We have sought legal opinion on the letter. To what action can be initiated.” said Sparjan Kumar, police commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram.
In the teaser, a burkha-clad woman says. That her name was Shalini Unnikrishnan and she had wanted to become a nurse.
“Now I am Fatima Ba, an IS terrorist in a jail in Afghanistan,” she says, adding that there are “32,000 girls like her. Who have converted and buried in the deserts of Syria and Yemen”.
She says “A deadly game is being played to convert normal girls. Into dreaded terrorists in Kerala and that too in the open”.
The teaser has viewed more than 440,000 times on YouTube. In the past six days and has received both criticism and praise.
Mr. Arvindakshan, the journalist, told the BBC that. He has asked for an inquiry and for the filmmakers to produce evidence. Because he outraged by the claims in the teaser.
“Some cases may have happened but 32,000 is an unbelievable number,” he said.
In a 2021 interview with Citi Media, the film’s director said that. He arrived at that number based on figures given to the Kerala assembly. By former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
Mr. Sen claimed that Mr. Chandy had said that “every year approximately 2,800 to 3,200 girls were taking up Islam.” And so, it worked up to 32,000 in 10 years.
When Story Start?
It found that Mr. Chandy 2012 had said that 2,667 young women had converted to Islam. In the state since 2006, without mentioning an annual figure.
A group of 21, in 2016, people from Kerala left the country. In batches to join an affiliate of the Islamic State jihadist militant group.
One of them, a student, had converted to Islam before getting married. She was eight months pregnant when she left the country.
In 2021, after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Indian officials said four women from Kerala who had joined the Islamic State were in jail there.
Mr. Arvindakshan says he has also written to the Central Board of Film Certification. State film certification boards as well as India’s minister for information. And broadcasting Anurag Thakur. He has not received any response yet.
“This film is against the unity and sovereignty of India. And tarnishes the credibility of all intelligence agencies of India,” he said.
The film’s teaser has also triggered a political controversy in Kerala.
Congress party leader VD Satheesan called it a “clear case of misinformation”. And claimed that the film made to “tarnish the image of Kerala” and “spread hatred among people”.
