Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly condemned the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), alleging that it has been turned into a political instrument by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government. His comments came amid a controversy surrounding the censor certification delay of the upcoming Tamil film Jananayagan, which was scheduled for release during the Pongal festival on January 9.Directed by H. Vinoth and featuring stars such as Vijay, Pooja Hegde, and Mamitha Baiju, Jananayagan was expected to hit theaters this week. However, the film has faced setbacks in receiving its certification from the CBFC, with a court directing further examination and pushing the next hearing to January 21.
In a post on social media platform X, Stalin accused the CBFC of functioning like other central agencies — such as the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Income Tax Department — that are “weaponised” against certain entities. He wrote that the Censor Board has become “a new weapon of the BJP government,” and issued strong condemnations against its perceived actions.