CM criticises Censor Board decision on Amritaya Sen documentary

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday flayed the Censor Board's objection to the use of certain words in a documentary on Nobel laureate Amritaya Sen and said this was an attack on the freedom of expression.

In a Facebook Post, Vijayan said not accepting differences and opposition could only be seen as a "fascist tendency."

A controversy had erupted over the Central Board of Film Certification(CBFC) taking objection to certain words, including 'Hindutva', 'Cow' and 'Gujarat' in the documentary by film maker Suman Ghosh and he was told that it could be released only after the words were muted.

The Sangh Parivar was apprehensive of the words as it was under the impression that it could point fingers at its alleged 'heinous deeds', Vijayan said.

In the documentary 'The Argumentative Indian', Sen himself is using the words.

The board's decision is an infringement of the rights guaranteed under the constitution, Vijayan said, adding such institutions should act freely.

He alleged that the Central government had converted such bodies as "tools to impose the Hindutva agenda."

There should be widespread protests over such moves, he said.

Cultural affairs minister A K Balan also hit out against the board's decision, saying it is not acceptable.