A sharp political confrontation has broken out between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party following the decision of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to withhold a censor certificate for the Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan. Congress leaders have described the move as a serious blow to freedom of expression and accused the government of encouraging the politicisation of independent statutory institutions meant to function without political pressure.
Responding strongly to these allegations, senior BJP leader Tamilsai Soundarajan rejected the Congress’s claims, stating that blaming the central government and the Prime Minister for the film not receiving certification was misleading and unfair. She argued that the issue was being deliberately distorted for political gain and that the public was being misinformed about the actual process behind film certification.
Soundarajan further said that it had been clearly stated in court that the central government had no role in the CBFC’s decision regarding Jana Nayagan. She also accused the Congress of hypocrisy, pointing out that the party had suppressed freedom of expression during the Emergency, and questioned its credibility in now portraying itself as a defender of artistic and creative liberties.
From the Congress side, B Manickam Tagore, a Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar, alleged that the Centre’s approach was eroding public confidence in creative freedom. He claimed that the Modi government, facing declining trust in what he described as “RSS-backed narratives,” was attempting to exert control over cinema and artistic expression. According to Tagore, this reflected a broader pattern of undermining democratic institutions to silence dissenting voices.
Another Congress MP, S Jothimani, also expressed concern over the controversy, warning that efforts to block or delay films with political themes were dangerous for a democratic society. She argued that restricting creative works on political grounds sets a troubling precedent and could discourage filmmakers and artists from engaging with important social and political issues.
Meanwhile, L Murugan, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, categorically denied any involvement of the Centre in the certification dispute. Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Murugan questioned why the government would want to pressure actor Vijay, dismissing allegations that the Centre was influencing the CBFC’s decision-making process.
Congress leaders, however, continued to caution that persistent interference in artistic and creative expression could have lasting and damaging consequences for the film industry and other creative sectors. They maintained that the CBFC must function as an independent and impartial body, guided strictly by constitutional principles rather than political considerations, warning that any erosion of this independence threatens the broader framework of free expression in the country.
