Thiruvananthapuram: A Friday evening telecast of the controversial 2023 movie The Kerala Story on DD National raised CPM and Congress's hackles, with both parties slamming the screening as a slight on the people of the southern state. Hours before the film was aired at the scheduled 8pm slot, CM Pinarayi Vijayan demanded that DD cancel the telecast.

A petition was filed in Kerala HC to stop the screening, but the court didn't issue an order, saying DD should have been given more time to respond.

Leader of the opposition V D Satheesan and CPM state secretary M V Govindan wrote to the Election Commission, alleging that the telecast was at BJP's behest and meant to appease a certain section of people ahead of elections.

DYFI, CPM's youth wing, protested in front of Doordarshan Kendra, while Congress's Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor termed the choice of film "propaganda at its cheapest and worst".