Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 16 : After the cancellation of the trailer launch event of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Bengal Files' as it faced disruptions in Kolkata, West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari accused the state government of attempting to suppress voices highlighting the events of the Partition era.
Adhikari alleged that the state police act as "extremists" and are "gunda police".
"I am thankful to Vivek Agnihotri that he brought out the truth...The police here are 'gunda' police; they lathi-charge the mothers and sisters of the medical college...There is no difference between the police and extremists...," Adhikari said while speaking to ANI.
Linking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's observance of Khela Hobe Diwas to the communal violence of 1946, he alleged, "On this day, 10,000 Hindus were murdered in West Bengal, the Muslim League celebrated it as 'Direct Action Day'. Today, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is celebrating it as 'Khela Hobe Diwas'. This is a Muslim League 2 government."
The controversy comes after the trailer launch of The Bengal Files -- a film depicting Direct Action Day, the Noakhali riots and communal violence in Bengal during the 1940s -- was interrupted at a city event on Saturday.
Actor Pallavi Joshi, present at the launch, said, "I absolutely did not like the way my film (trailer) was stopped. Is there freedom of expression in this state? Such a thing did not happen even in Kashmir."
Director Vivek Agnihotri alleged political pressure behind the disruptions. "Please bear with us..I mean, all this happened with the permissions and approvals, and now, at the last minute, they are saying that we cannot play (the trailer)...It seems there are two constitutions in India...one Indian constitution and one special constitution that runs here," he said.
Earlier, Agnihotri said the cancellation of planned theatre launches was also due to political interference. "If a trailer about Direct Action Day, Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots is to be launched, it should be in Kolkata... but why are efforts being made to suppress our voice?" he said.
Featuring Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar and Pallavi Joshi, The Bengal Files is scheduled for release on September 5.