Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], August 17 (ANI): Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called the alleged disruption during 'The Bengal Files' trailer launch undemocratic and 'suppression' of the filmmaker's freedom to produce films.

A huge ruckus erupted during the release of 'The Bengal Files' trailer launch in Kolkata on Saturday. After all the preparations for the trailer launch at ITC Royal Bengal, the hotel organisers allegedly disrupted the event.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called it a 'conspiracy' of Mamata Banerjee to allegedly avoid the release of 'The Bengal Files', which explores the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, including events like the 1946 Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946, a Hindu genocide.

Majumdar compared the alleged disruption of the event with the actual situation of Bengal.

While talking to ANI, the Union Minister said, 'This is the actual situation of West Bengal, where democracy does not persist. The voice of the filmmaker is being suppressed by the local administration. Under the instruction of Mamata Banerjee, the police did this.'

He continued, 'This is the conspiracy of Mamata Banerjee; she does not want the real history to come out. It is a democracy, and you cannot resist anyone from making films. There are many films that are made against the present government. It is a kind of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the director.'

Earlier, taking to his X handle, the Union Minister called the alleged disruption of 'The Bengal Files' a 'disgraceful' act.

Referring to the incident, Sukanta Majumdar wrote, 'In the land of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, West Bengal has once again witnessed a shameful episode that shatters every limit of democratic decency. Words are simply inadequate to condemn what has just taken place.'

'This is not merely disgraceful--it is yet another chilling reminder of how Bengal today is being ruled under jungle-raj, anarchy, and authoritarian arrogance, intoxicated with the politics of appeasement,' added Majumdar.

https://x.com/DrSukantaBJP/status/1956635192963256378

During the event at ITC Royal Bengal on Saturday, when the trailer was suddenly stopped, filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri asked everyone to calm down, 'Please bear with us..I mean, all this happened with the permissions and approvals, and now, at the last minute, they are saying that they have got some instructions that we cannot play (trailer)...Please sit down..you can see what is happening it seems there are two constitutions in India..one Indian constitution and one special constitution that runs here...'

He added, 'If this is not dictatorship/fascism, then what is?...Law and order in your state has failed, and this is the reason that everyone supports 'The Bengal Files'...' 'I have just got to know what some people came here (event venue in a private hotel) and cut all the wires. I don't know on whose orders this is happening? You know who those people are behind us. After all tests and trials, this program was being held. The hotel managers still can't tell us why we are not allowed to continue with our programme...'

'The Bengal Files' stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumarr and Pallavi Joshi in the lead roles. The film is slated to hit the theatres on September 5, 2025. (ANI)