Bengaluru, Jan 30 (PTI) The BJP on Friday hit out at actor Prakash Raj for demanding screening of Palestinian movies during the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF).
Raj, who has been named as the BIFF’s ambassador by the Karnataka government, slammed the Centre for restricting Palestinian movies in India.
“The Centre is not allowing the screening of Palestinian movies in the BIFF this year. What is this? How we should protest against it? As the BIFF Ambassador I request Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that he should take a firm decision on this,” Raj said on Thursday.
He said when the people of Karnataka celebrate the Booker Award to Banu Mushtaq for her novel ‘Heart Lamp’, which is given by others, how can Indians accept restricting others’ stories.
In support of Palestinian cinema, he recited a poem and urged the government to resist politicisation of cultural exchange programmes.
Flaying Prakash Raj, BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginkai said why he is not demanding screening of movies on the Hindu genocide in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“The ban on Palestinian movie has been decided from the top. I would like to ask those who oppose the government’s decision that why they do not demand screening of movies on Hindu genocide in Bangladesh and Pakistan,” the Hubballi-Dharwad Central MLA told reporters here.
He said the Centre was right in banning the screening of Palestinian movies. PTI GMS GMS ADB
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