THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Controversy has erupted after the announcement of the 71st National Film Awards. The controversy is over the awards given to the film 'The Kerala Story'. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised the award announcement.

The Chief Minister said that by awarding awards to a film filled with lies to defame Kerala and spread communalism, the jury has insulted the noble tradition of Indian cinema, which has stood for religious brotherhood and national integration. The Chief Minister also accused of implementing the Sangh Parivar agenda of turning cinema into a weapon to implement the communal agenda. He strongly protested against this action and said that every Malayali and all democratic believers in the country should raise their voices against this injustice. The Chief Minister also said that everyone should join hands against politics that turns art into a weapon to promote communalism.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister congratulated Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan for winning the Best Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor awards. The Chief Minister said that the fact that Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan, who have enriched Malayalam cinema with their unique talent, have won the Best Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor awards adds to the brilliance of this moment. The Chief Minister also wished that these awards inspire Malayalam cinema to scale new heights with more excellent films.