‘Will slit your throat’: Dalit man beaten, threatened in Rajasthan for posting good review of ‘The Kerala Story’

A Dalit man in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur was allegedly beaten up for posting a positive review of ‘The Kerala Story’ on his WhatsApp status. The miscreants also threatened to slit the throat of 24-year-old Abhishek Sargara, who is also a member of VHP.

The incident was reported in Jodhpur’s Uday Mandir minutes after Sargara urged women to mandatorily watch Adah Sharma starrer ‘The Kerala Story’.

The film, directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, was released on 5 May.

Sargara has identified the three men as Pintu, Aman and Ali who beat him up and threatened him of dire consequences.

Jodhpur’s Dalit man’s WhatsApp status on ‘The Kerala Story’

After watching the film, Sargara uploaded his WhatsApp status in which he wrote that “‘The Kerala Story’ is a must-watch and all the all the girls should watch the film in order to remain safe from conversions.”

Talking to News18, Sargara said: “After watching ‘The Kerala Story’, I uploaded a status on my WhatsApp in which I urged everyone to watch the film. I also wrote that all the girls around the world must watch this film so that they save their sisters and daughter from conversion and protect their lives.”

“Just a while after I uploaded the status, somebody saw it. When I was returning home, some people stopped me and asked me to show my WhatsApp status… They then started beating me and threatened to slit my throat,” he added.

Derawar Singh, ACP, Jodhpur said that a FIR has been registered and further probe into the matter is underway. Relevant charges under IPC (Indian Penal Code) have been slapped on the accused.

Justice for Abhishek Sargara

Jitendra Sharma, VHP district head, Jodhpur said the WhatsApp status posted by Sargara had nothing objectionable against any religion or caste.

“Despite reading his status and finding nothing wrong in it, 15-20 people brutally hit VHP member Sargara,” Sharma said.

“Abhishek Sargara managed to save his life and rushed inside his house. An FIR has been registered against those responsible,” Sharma added.

Locals have been demanding for arrest of all those responsible for beating and threatening the Dalit youth in Jodhpur.

‘Rajasthan will not tolerate appeasement politics’

Hitting out at Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan, National Spokesperson of BJP and Member of Parliament from Jaipur, Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “The people of Rajasthan will not tolerate this appeasement politics.”

In a video message, Rathore asked, “Has watching a movie become a crime in Rajasthan? Has it become a crime to post film status on WhatsApp?”

एक दलित लड़के को इस लिए पीटा गया क्योंकि उसने एक फ़िल्म का WhatsApp status लगाया था !

क्या राजस्थान में फ़िल्म देखना अपराध हो गया है ? क्या फ़िल्म का status WhatsApp पर लगाना अपराध हो गया है ?

यह तुष्टिकरण की राजनीति राजस्थान की जनता बर्दाशत नहीं करेगी।#TheKeralaStory… https://t.co/24FC7BOmaP pic.twitter.com/AuqOT6UyBn

— Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) May 7, 2023

‘The Kerala Story’ controversy

The teaser of the film was released in November 2022 which claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala were converted to Islam and recruited by the terror group, Islamic State. The number being cited was questioned and second, is the life of the film's central character, Fathima Ba, which was claimed to be based on true events.

The Censor Board issued an 'A' certificate to ‘The Kerala Story’ and reportedly deleted 10 scenes.

Political parties, including the ruling CPI(M) and the Congress, in Kerala are opposed to the "false claim" the film promotes.

‘The Kerala Story’ shows alleged religious indoctrination in Kerala and how Hindu and Christian women are being targeted by radical Islamic clerics.

The Congress sought a ban on screening of the film, while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called it a "Sangh Parivar propaganda" piece.

With inputs from agencies

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