Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday strongly criticised the Centre at the closing ceremony of the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala for denying clearance to certain films scheduled for screening at the festival.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s initial refusal to grant censorship exemption to 19 films was an attempt by Sangh Parivar forces to crush dissenting voices, Vijayan alleged.

He said the International Film Festival of Kerala was different from other festivals around the world, with a distinct identity rooted in a progressive political stance.

Vijayan said the Centre later cleared 13 films after the state government took a firm stand that the films would be screened even without the ministry’s approval.

The chief minister said permission was denied to the Spanish film Beef solely on the basis of its title, without assessing its content. He also said Sergei Eisenstein’s century-old film Battleship Potemkin, which is taught in film schools, was denied clearance.

“These kinds of ridiculous decisions do not come just because of the ignorance of the officials of the ministry,” he said, adding that it is “politically motivated”.

According to Vijayan, films dealing with Palestine-related issues were also denied clearance, exposing the Centre’s policy of “suppressing dissent and democratic voices”.

He further said filmmakers from Turkey and Azerbaijan were denied visas to attend the festival.

Vijayan said the state government would not yield to attempts to disrupt the festival. “We will not yield to the fascist methods being adopted by the Centre against the festival. Come what may, the IFFK is here to stay,” he said.