‘The Kerala Story’ to be tax-free in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared on Tuesday that the movie “The Kerala Story” will be made tax-free in the state.

In a tweet in Hindi, Adityanath stated that the film will be exempted from taxes in Uttar Pradesh. The chief minister and his entire cabinet are expected to view a special screening of the film.

Previously, Madhya Pradesh became the first state to declare the movie tax-free. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand is also expected to announce that the Adah Sharma-starring film will be tax-free. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is anticipated to make the announcement after watching the film at a PVR hall in Dehradun at around 5 pm on Tuesday. Cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi will accompany him.

“The Kerala Story” created a massive controversy after its trailer was released, claiming that “32,000 girls” from the state went missing and later joined the Islamic State terror group. The film was released in cinemas on May 5, and various youth organizations in the state protested against its screening.

The Kerala high court refused to halt the movie’s release, claiming that the trailer did not include anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.

On Monday, the West Bengal government declared its decision to prohibit “The Kerala Story,” with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claiming that it was done to “maintain peace” in the state and prevent violence.

Multiplex theaters in Tamil Nadu ceased screening “The Kerala Story” from May 7, citing the law-and-order situation in the state.

‘The Kerala Story’ उत्तर प्रदेश में टैक्स फ्री की जाएगी।

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 9, 2023