NCP's Jitendra Awhad Booked For 'Should Be Hanged In Public' Remark For 'The Kerala Story' Producer

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad has been booked for his "should be hanged in public" statement for the producer of 'The Kerala Story'.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad has been booked by the Maharashtra police for his "should be hanged in public" statement for the producer of 'The Kerala Story'. According to news agency ANI, a non-cognizable (NC) case has been filed against NCP leader Jitendra Awhad at Vartak Nagar Police Station in Thane under Section 500 of IPC." Jitendra Awhad stoked massive controversy on Tuesday when said that the person who produced this 'fictional' movie should be hanged in public.

The leader added that the film is defaming a state and its women. This comes after several BJP-ruled states declared the movie tax-free while Kerala and West Bengal prohibited its release. "Under the name of 'The Kerala Story', a state and its women were defamed. The official figure of three was projected as 32,000. The person who produced this fictional movie should be hanged in public," Awhad said, as quoted by ANI.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association on Tuesday said that they have stopped the screening of the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ from Sunday to maintain law and order in the state. The association also stated the poor collection on the second day as also the reason behind the decision.

According to ANI, Sridhar, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, Trichy said, “Due to the film's (The Kerala Story) poor collection on the second day and to maintain law and order in the state, we stopped screening the film across Tamil Nadu from Sunday. We want to protect our theatres and we also have to think about the interest of the audience.”

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also spoke against the film. He said that banning a film is wrong "be it propaganda or counter propaganda’. 

Anurag Kashyap took to Twitter to express his views and wrote, "You agree with the film or not, be it propaganda, counter-propaganda, offensive or not, to ban it is just wrong.”