Mersal effect: Tamilisai Soundararajan receives threat calls for critising Thiruma
Meanwhile, police has beefed up security at her residence and party office here following protests against her by VCK activists.
Chennai: BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has claimed that she received threat calls for criticising VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan over her party's opposition to “incorrect references” to GST in the Vijay starrer Mersal and said freedom of expression also meant the right to oppose misinformation campaign.
Contending that her party's opposition was only directed against the wrong depiction in the film but not against the film or the actor (Vijay), Dr Tamilisai said, “the scenes about GST in the film are factually wrong. I have only registered my views on what is incorrect in the movie and my views are not wrong.” She reiterated that both GST and Digital India were portrayed in a negative manner in the film.
“It has been shown as if taxes in the country have increased after GST. But, in fact the taxes have come down. For instance, this has resulted in a cut in the prices of medicine and stents. The movie belittles all that,” she said and added that her views were based on what the party members informed her about the movie.
On trolling by social media users, Dr Tamilisai said “my phone number was shared on the internet by a few individuals and I have been getting threatening calls till 4 am (Monday) with people using offensive language. This is wrong approach. If there is any difference of opinion in a democracy one could debate. Freedom of expression is not all about putting forth a view but also saying that view is wrong,” the BJP president emphasised.
Responding to Mr Thirumavalavan's charge that the BJP was trying to get Vijay into its party by silencing him with cases and arm-twisting him by protesting against his film, she dismissed the charges and said there was no need for the BJP to draw anyone.
“Those who have the habit of usurping others' properties are now saying we are planning to pull Vijay to our side. We don't have any need to indulge in such politics,” she said.
Meanwhile, police has beefed up security at her residence and party office here following protests against her by VCK activists. In some places, VCK members burnt her effigy to condemn her remarks against Thirumavalavan.