By CBFC Being Used as Political Tool by BJP-Led Centre, Alleges Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Friday (January 9, 2026) alleged that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has “become a new weapon” of the BJP-led Union government, adding it to a list of central agencies he claims are being misused for political purposes.
In a post on social media, Stalin made the remarks shortly after the CBFC cleared the Tamil political drama Parasakthi for release on January 10, subject to 25 cuts. The film has been granted a U/A certificate by the certification board.
The Chief Minister alleged that after institutions such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), and the Income Tax Department, the film certification authority is now also being “weaponised” by the Centre.
Parasakthi is a political drama based on events linked to the anti-Hindi agitations that took place in the then Madras State during the 1960s. According to sources, the cuts and modifications suggested by the CBFC include references to Hindi and certain well-known phrases associated with late DMK leader C N Annadurai.
The distribution rights of Parasakthi are held by Red Giant Movies. The company’s Chief Executive Officer is Inban Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and grandson of Chief Minister M K Stalin.
Separately, the CBFC was also involved in litigation on Friday at the Madras High Court with actor-turned-politician Vijay. The case created uncertainty over the scheduled release of Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, further drawing attention to the role of the certification board in film releases.
The allegations by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister come amid ongoing political tensions between the DMK-led state government and the BJP-led Centre over the functioning of central institutions.
