SC issues notice to Bengal over 'The Kerala Story' ban

The Supreme Court today sought to know the rationale behind 'The Kerala Story' movie being banned in West Bengal when it is running across the country without any problem."Why should West Bengal ban the movie? It is running in the rest of the country including in states having similar demographic composition and nothing has happened. This has nothing to do with the artistic value of the film," observed a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, and issued notices to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Though the movie has not been banned in Tamil Nadu, theatre owners have decided not to screen it over law and order concerns, a move that the makers claimed was a "de facto ban".Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government, cited intelligence inputs to claim there may be a law and order problem.The court also sought to know about the security provided to theatres screening the movie in Tamil Nadu. It told the state's counsel that the government cannot look the other way when theatres are attacked.