Youth Cong protests screening of 'Accidental Prime Minister'

Youth Congress activists on Friday staged protests outside a movie halls here against the screening of the film "The Accidental Prime Minister" which is based on the tenure of former PM Manmohan Singh.

However, the West Bengal Congress disapproved the action and said the party would never "oppose freedom of speech", which it values deeply as part of its ideology.

Youth Congress activists staged a protest outside a movie hall here and burnt posters of the film. They also raised slogans against the actors and the producer of the film.

The film, which was released today, features actor Anupam Kher as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The film is based on Singh's then media adviser Sanjaya Barus 2014 memoir of the same name and details Singhs relationship with the Congress partys Gandhi family.

"This is nothing but a propaganda film to show former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party in poor light. We condemn it," a youth Congress activist said.

However, the West Bengal Congress unit in a statement disapproved their actions.

"The official stand of the Indian National Congress on the 'Accidental Prime Minister' is that we have nothing to do with it. Our president Rahul Gandhi has instructed us that we as a party will never oppose freedom of speech, which we value deeply, as part of our ideology.

"In the recent years, we have fallen victim to propaganda and we firmly believe that the people who watch the movie will see through the vile propaganda at play," the state unit of the Congress said in a statement.