The BJP has taken strong objection to the reference of GST in Tamil film Mersal calling it ‘untruth’ and demanded the deletion of certain dialogues.
The movie was recently released and stars popular actor Vijay. Oscar winner A R Rahman has scored the music for the movie.
“The film producer should remove the untruths regarding GST from the film,” Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan told reporters in Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.
He said wrong information should not be spread through cinema and actors should not confuse people using the medium and try to derive political mileage, reported PTI.
Senior BJP leader H Raja also slammed the references to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the movie in his Twitter handle and said it only exposed the lack of knowledge of economics.
Hitting out at the references, state BJP state unit president Tamilisai Sounderrajan had told reporters in Chennai on Thursday that “Incorrect references have been made in ‘Mersal’ about GST … celebrities should desist from registering wrong information among people.”
மெர்சல்படத்தில்GSTபற்றியும்பணமில்லா பரிவர்தனைபற்றியும் கோயில்கள் பற்றிய தவறான பரிதலை ஏற்படுத்தும்கருத்துகள்பதியவைத்திருப்பது ஏற்புடையதுஅல்ல
— Tamilisai Soundrajan (@drtamilisaibjp) October 19, 2017
Fans of the popular actor should not support such incorrect references, she said and favoured removal of the dialogue referring to the central taxation, rolled out in July.
“What do they (the filmmakers) know about GST and its economics… such incorrect references should be removed from the film,” she added.
Meanwhile, PMK questioned BJP on the issue, saying the film had been certified by the Censor Board, constituted by the Central government.
PMK youth wing leader and Lok Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss said that the reference to GST in the film was made in the context of providing free medical care.
The movie directed by Atlee released on 18 October, coinciding with Diwali festival.