NEWS STORIES

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalitha, summoned a press conference just moments ago to clarify what she claimed to be as ‘reckless charges’ made by the media and opposition leaders. She found the need to clarify certain misconceptions surrounding her involvement in the issue of the ban imposed on Vishwaroopam.

She stated the challenges of maintaining law and order across 524 theatres that were proposed for the screening of the film. She cited inadequate man power being the prime reason for disallowing the film to release in TN.

According to her, she received intelligence reports that violence and public disorder was expected if the film was to be released and hence resorted to the most ‘sensible’ decision of taking preventive measures by halting the film’s release.

On allegations of satellite rights being a factor in the matter, she distanced herself from Jaya TV saying that she is not a stake holder and is not in anyway associated with the channel. She said they were reckless charges foisted upon her and that she will be considering legal action against those who have accused her of doing so.

She also said that she was an experienced enough politician to understand that Kamal Haasan cannot choose the next Prime Minister of the country and that he was entitled to his opinion and she takes no offence to what he had said on this issue and there was no personal grudge with him.

The Chief Minister also argued that if she wanted to stop films from releasing for political reasons, she could have affected the films produced by DMK family members, but she hasn’t and therefore emphasized that this was not politically motivated but a preventive measure taken in a bid to avoid a law and order situation.

Pointing out legalities, she said the State had every right to ban a film before its release according to the Tamil Nadu Cinemas Regulation Act 1955, Section 7. This law had been enforced to ban the release of Dam 999, but the same hadn’t been applied to Vishwaroopam since she hoped that matters could be settled amicably between the two parties. Hence the decision to impose a ban under Sec. 144. 

She said that the State was in no way accountable for Kamal’s financial crisis and said that it was a calculated risk taken by the actor. She said that she did not know anything about the film since she stopped watching movies long back.

Recalling the series of events, she stated that the Government had requested Kamal to screen the movie to the Muslim league members long ago, but it was Kamal who avoided that opportunity. The CM feels that this entire situation could have been avoided if he had screened the film to them earlier instead of screening it late on Jan 21st, just few days before Jan 25th, the proposed initial release date of the movie.

The honorable CM said she wanted to avoid a law and order situation and a case where force is applied like lathi charge or tear gas. In that manner, she said that the Government had succeeded in maintaining law  and order. She insisted that the government takes utmost importance in keeping the state of Tamil Nadu peaceful and tranquil.

She was hopeful that Kamal, who had agreed to cut a few scenes, and the Muslim league members, who according to her, are welcoming of the cuts, can reach an amicable solution at the earliest, following which the film will be allowed to release.