KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has strongly criticized the petition filed by V.V. Vijesh, who sought a ban on the screening of the movie Empuraan. While the court accepted the petition for consideration, it rejected the interim request to halt the film’s screening. The court expressed concerns that the petition appeared motivated by the petitioner’s desire for publicity and raised doubts about the sincerity of his intentions. Additionally, the court issued notices to the central government and the censor board regarding the matter.

During the hearing, the court questioned the petitioner, asking, "Isn’t the movie approved by the censor board? Then what is the confusion?" When the court inquired whether any police case had been filed in relation to the film, the petitioner responded negatively. The court then asked if the petition was filed in pursuit of personal fame.

In his petition, Vijesh argued that Empuraan promoted anti-national sentiments and incited religious intolerance. He also claimed that the film portrayed the Ministry of Defense and the National Investigation Agency in a bad light.

In a separate development, V.V. Vijesh was suspended from the primary membership of the BJP following his petition. The party distanced itself from the petition, with the state president clarifying that the BJP had not authorized anyone to file such a request. The BJP's Thrissur district president, Justin Jacob, also confirmed that the party had no involvement in the matter.