New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court order on 'The Kerala Story' is a "resounding jolt" to those banning it or trying to stop its screening, the BJP said Thursday, alleging the TMC, DMK and the Congress are "hell-bent" against the film due to their "vote bank story".

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stayed the West Bengal government's order banning the screening of the film in the state and asked Tamil Nadu to ensure the safety of the moviegoers.

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The West Bengal government had imposed a ban on the film on May 8, apprehending tensions among the communities. Theatres in Tamil Nadu had decided to stop its screening from May 7 onwards, citing the law-and-order situation and a poor audience turnout.

"The order of the Supreme Court is a resounding jolt for those people who have been trying to stop the screening of the film or ban it," BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told PTI when asked about the ruling.

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He said 'The Kerala Story' is about the "actions and terrorist intentions of groups like ISIS, whose aim is to exploit women and push them into radicalism".

"One wonders why the TMC government in West Bengal and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu or the Congress party in Jharkhand and in other places were so hell-bent on banning the film," Poonawalla said.

"It's because of their vote bank story," he charged.

Poonawalla alleged that the TMC and other parties have time and again sacrificed "at the altar of vote bank politics" women's interests and empowerment "to appease and placate hardliners". "The Supreme Court has shown them a mirror," he added.

The Kerala Story, released on May 5, kicked off a huge political row with the Congress alleging that the film is a false portrayal against a community and the BJP-ruled states declaring its screening tax-free for "cheap political gains".

Congress MLA in Jharkhand Irfan Ansari demanded a ban on the movie, while NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said the producer of the movie "should be hanged in public".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)