The Kerala government, on Monday, constituted a special investigation team (SIT), to probe the attack on a film set by members of a right-wing Hindu group. The set represented a replica of a church, erected by the art team of the Tovino Thomas-starrer Minnal Murali. It was made on an island on the banks of the Periyar on the outskirts of Kochi.
According to reports, the set was vandalised by a group of people owing to Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) and later posted the same on social media.
Amidst the novel Coronavirus scare, shootings have come to a halt. The Malayalam film Minnal Murali, which is scheduled to be released in August, has also been delayed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government.
Meanwhile, the BJP and RSS have condemned the attack and sought strict actions against the fringe group.
Kerala CM, Pinarayi Vijayan, has promised tough action against the right-wing outfit. He said,“Such incidents have no place in Kerala. The film set was built in March spending lakhs of rupees. But because of COVID lockdown, the work got stuck. Now, there are reports of Bajrang Dal having vandalised it last evening. This is clearly aimed at provoking religious sentiments. Kerala is not a land where such communal forces can thrive. The government will take strong action. There is no doubt about it.”
“It has caused us a lot of distress, and even more of anxiety. We have decided to go ahead with the legal proceedings. #MinnalMurali,” actor Tovino wrote in a social media post.
It has caused us a lot of distress, and even more of anxiety. We have decided to go ahead with the legal proceedings. #MinnalMurali pic.twitter.com/myYXNWnm1n
— Tovino Thomas (@ttovino) May 25, 2020
Many bodies related to the film industry also condemned the attack.