L2 Empuraan controversy: KC Venugopal slams BJP over censorship; calls it an attack on free speech

In a fiery statement during the Zero Hour session in Lok Sabha, Congress leader KC Venugopal strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its influence on film censorship, citing the recent controversy surrounding Mohanlal’s highly anticipated film, L2: Empuraan. According to Venugopal, the film has been facing major challenges due to a brief reference to the Gujarat riots, leading to what he described as “serious attacks” on the film’s makers.

 

L2 Empuraan controversy: KC Venugopal slams BJP over censorship; calls it an attack on free speech

 

“In Kerala, for the past so many days, we are witnessing a serious attack on a movie Empuraan,” Venugopal declared. He further alleged, “The attack happened because BJP leaders are sitting in the Censor Board.” The Congress MP accused the ruling party of suppressing dissenting voices, stating, “Whenever somebody is talking against the government or against the BJP, they are under threat… the entire machinery of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP are behind them.” Venugopal also claimed that such incidents were part of a broader attempt to curb transparency and public accountability. “They are systematically trying to finish the RTI… it is one of the best weapons for the common people,” he added.

 

Taking to social media, Venugopal amplified his concerns through a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he accused the BJP and its ideological ally, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of weaponizing censorship. “The BJP & RSS have perfected the use of the heckler’s veto and are taking a sledgehammer on people’s freedom of expression,” he wrote. Venugopal further pointed out, “The way in which the makers of Empuraan have been targeted in Kerala, or the hounding of journalists and YouTubers, shows how the BJP & RSS will not tolerate any contrarian thought and use all its muscle power to silence its critics. They are also hell-bent on eroding transparency by severely diluting the RTI Act.”

 

 

Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, L2: Empuraan is the highly anticipated sequel to Lucifer (2019), in which Mohanlal plays the enigmatic character Stephen Nedumpally. The film, which explores a complex political-crime narrative, reportedly includes a fleeting reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots, a sensitive subject in Indian politics. Following this, the film allegedly encountered multiple roadblocks with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), sparking widespread debates over artistic freedom and political influence in film censorship.

 

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