Day After West Bengal Banned 'The Kerala Story', CM Yogi Adityanath Declares The Movie Tax-Free In Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday (9 May) declared the movie 'The Kerala Story' tax-free in the state.

"The Kerala Story will be made tax-free in the state," CM Yogi said in a tweet in Hindi.

The movie, narrating the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage, has already kicked up a political storm across the country.

CM Yogi's announcement comes a day after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the film will be banned in the state as it may create unrest.

“West Bengal govt has decided to ban the movie The Kerala Story. This is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Monday (8 May).

UP is the second state after Madhya Pradesh to make the movie tax-free.

Earlier on Saturday (6 May), Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared ‘The Kerala Story’ tax-free in the state, saying the film “exposes the horrific face of love jihad, religious conversion, and terrorism".

The Kerala Story, starring Adah Sharma and written and directed by Sudipto Sen, was released in theatres on 5 May.

The film's release was challenged in the Kerala HC but the court refused to stay the release, saying the trailer does not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.