Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 13 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for extending support to the Vijay-starrer ‘Jana Nayagan’ while Congress has sought a ban on Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Tamil film ‘Parasakthi’.
In a press release, Tamilisai Soundararajan said that even the Congress had banned films while in power and had recalled the Emergency, slamming the party for “crushing” freedom of expression.
The press release said, “Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to talk on this issue; it was his party that implemented the Emergency during which the total freedom of expression was crushed. His party’s rule prevented the release of many films, such as Kuttacharithiram, in Tamil for more than one year. They then didn’t think it was an attack on Tamil culture. Rahul Gandhi’s party suppressed the voice of the people during the anti-Hindi agitation.”
“Now Rahul Gandhi can go and watch the movie Parasakthi, which reveals how Congress was anti-Tamils and shot down Tamil students during the anti-Hindi agitation. The Congress-DMK UPA government didn’t prevent the killings of Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. It is ironic that he talks about Tamil culture. On top of everything, the Congress government in Telangana arrested actor Allu Arjun for the unruly crowd of fans who came to watch his movie Pushpa 2. After seeing Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, I am reminded of a Tamil proverb that is ‘The devil is preaching the scriptures’,” the release added.
This comes after Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the Vijay-starrer ‘Jana Nayagan’ and attacked the Centre after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) put the film’s certification on hold, calling it an attack on Tamil culture.
He said PM Modi would not succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.
In a post on X, the Congress leader wrote, “The I&B Ministry’s attempt to block ‘Jana Nayagan’ is an attack on Tamil culture. Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.”
His remarks follow the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decision to withhold certification for the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, citing scenes that could hurt religious sentiments.
However, when the makers of the movie approached the High Court, Vijay’s starrer initially received a favourable outcome as a single-judge bench directed the censor board to grant the U/A 16+ certification.
Further, the producers of Jana Nayagan, KVN Productions LLP, have moved the Supreme Court seeking an ex parte interim stay on the Madras High Court’s order that stalled the film’s certification by the CBFC.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress has sought a ban on Sivakarthikeyan starrer Tamil film ‘Parasakthi’, claiming that the movie deliberately distorts historical facts and maligns the Indian National Congress (INC) and its leaders. (ANI)