Rs 1.11 crore reward offered to prove claims made in 'The Kerala Story'
A Muslim body and a lawyer have separately announced rewards for proving the claims made in the Hindi film ‘The Kerala Story’ that 32,000 women in Kerala converted to Islam and joined the terror outfit Islamic State.
The unsubstantiated claims have been made in the trailer of the film, starring Adah Sharma, that was released recently.
Proof collection centres
Kerala State Committee of Muslim Youth League has announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone who proves the allegations levelled in the film and said that collection centres for providing the proof will be opened in every district of the state on May 4, reported ANI. Anyone can drop the details in the collection centres.
The committee poster asked people to take up the challenge and submit the evidence that “32,000 Keralites converted and fled to Syria.”
Separately, C Shukkur, a Muslim lawyer and actor, offered Rs 11 lakh for bringing the proof of even 32 women from Kerala who converted and joined the Islamic State, according to PTI.
Separate reward
Shukkur, known for his role as a lawyer in the Kunchacko Boban starrer ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu‘ (Sue me then) and for remarrying his wife under the Special Marriage Act, posted in Facebook: “I am offering 11 lakh rupees to those who publish information such as names and addresses of women who were converted to Islam and become members of the Islamic State by Muslim youth of Kerala. No need to produce proof for 32,000 women, just 32 is enough.”
Shukkur said that the “only reported cases to have joined ISIS from outside the Muslim community from Kerala” are three women, who married two brothers who were Palakkad natives.
“Everyone should stop blaming a community and a state without any proof about the ‘love jihad’ case which was dismissed even by the High Court,” he added.
‘The Kerala Story’, written and directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, is slated for release in cinemas on May 5.
Political storm
The ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress have hit out at the makers for making the ‘false claim’. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement that the movie was deliberately made with the aim of communal polarization and spreading Sangh Parivar’s propaganda.
“The trailer of the Hindi film, ‘The Kerala Story‘, which appears to have been deliberately made with the aim of communal polarisation and to spread hate propaganda against Kerala was released last day. It is indicated from the trailer that this film is trying to spread the propaganda of Sangh Parivar, which has established itself as the centre of religious extremism in the land of secularism, Kerala,” Vijayan said in the statement.
Also read: ‘The Kerala Story’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan warns of legal action
Vijayan has made it clear that his government will initiate legal action against the film, which is allegedly propagating communal hatred based on “blatant lies” produced in Sangh Parivar “lie factories”.
