The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday declared The Kerala Story to be tax free, making it the second state after Madhya Pradesh to provide tax relief to this controversial film.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also watch the film in a special screening with his Cabinet on May 12.

On Tuesday morning, the chief minister announced through a tweet that The Kerala Story will be exempted from taxes in the state. The tweet read, “The Kerala Story will be made tax-free in Uttar Pradesh."

The development came a day after the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government banned the movie. She ordered a ban on the film in the state on Monday, citing a threat to law and order.

A government spokesman announced on Tuesday that “The Kerala Story’, a film based on the large-scale conversion of Hindu women in Kerala and their subsequent involvement in terrorist activities, will now be tax-free in Uttar Pradesh.”

He said the CM Yogi would also watch the film along with his entire Cabinet on May 12 after the second phase of polling in Urban Civic Elections.

This decision of the Yogi government is being praised a lot on social media platforms. People are urging everyone to watch the film in theatres and promote it.

UP became the second state after Madhya Pradesh to declare this controversial film tax free. Meanwhile, Opposition parties have called The Kerala Story a propaganda film.

Last week, the Kerala High Court had rejected the demand to stay the screening of the film and refused to declare the ‘A’ certification issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) illegal. A day before that, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a plea to direct the Kerala High Court to hear a petition challenging the clearance granted by CBFC to the film.