The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday made the film The Sabarmati Report tax-free in the state. Five other Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states – Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat – have already granted a tax break for the film.
When a film is made tax-free, entertainment tax is not levied on it, which makes ticket prices cheaper. Usually, films that are exempt from taxes deal with historical themes or social causes that the government wants to push.
The Sabarmati Report, produced by Ekta Kapoor, stars Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna. It was released on November 15.
The film is based on the 2002 Godhra train burning case.
On February 27, 2002, coach S6 of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire at the Godhra station in Gujarat, leading to the deaths of 59 persons. The coach was carrying kar sevaks who were returning from Ayodhya.
The incident triggered widespread communal riots in Gujarat, resulting in the deaths of 1,044 persons, according to official figures. A majority of those who were killed were Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at the time of the riots.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh government said that Chief Minister Adityanath, along with several cabinet colleagues, attended a special screening of The Sabarmati Report in Lucknow, PTI reported.
After the screening, Adityanath announced that the film would be made tax-free in Uttar Pradesh.
On Sunday, Modi praised The Sabarmati Report and claimed that the “truth” was coming out.
“It is good that this truth is coming out, and that too in a way common people can see it,” he said on social media. “A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time. Eventually, the facts will always come out.”
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