Senior CPI(M) leader M A Baby has come down heavily on VHP, stating that the right wing outfit's outcry against Kamal Haasan's upcoming Tamil flick "Uttama Villain" and protest against Kolkata International Art Biennale is a clear picture of the threat faced by creativity in the country.
"Raising objection against creativity in the name of hurting religious sensibilities is becoming a common practise in the country nowadays," Baby, party politburo member and former state minister, wrote in a Facebook post.
On VHP's demand seeking a ban on "Uttama Villain" claiming it would offend the feelings of Hindus, he said if Muslim fundamentalists had come up against Kamal's last film "Vishwaroopam", it was the turn of their Hindu counterparts to raise objection against his new movie.
"Both the Hindu and Muslim traditions do not endorse violence and intolerance," he said.
The senior leader also alleged that the forces who check creativity in the name of hurting religious sentiments, had become stronger after the BJP came to power at the Centre.
"Such forces had attacked writer Perumal Murugan in Tamil Nadu. He had withdrawn his works and stopped writing. A number of books, including that of Wendy Doniger on Hinduism had been banned during the 10 month tenure of the BJP ministry," he said.
He also criticised VHP for its threat against Kolkata International Art Biennale that they would upset the art fest if anything there was found unacceptable to them.
