India, Jan. 30 -- A row over the screening of Palestinian movies has erupted at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes), with actor Prakash Raj and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) going head-to-head on the issue.

Prakash Raj, who is also the brand ambassador of the film festival, on Thursday alleged that the central government had prevented the screening of Palestinian films at the event. The actor raised the issue during the festival's opening program on January 29.

While addressing the audience, the actor first read lines from a Palestinian poem: "Wars end, leaders shake hands and leave, but the old woman waits for her son..."

The acclaimed actor reiterated that cinema and literature should focus on human stories and...