BJP promoting 'The Kashmir Files' with eye on polls: Raut

March 20, 2022 13:24

Amit Shah with 'The Kashmir Files' team

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of promoting The Kashmir Files movie with an eye on the forthcoming assembly polls in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and also alleged that an attempt has been made in the film to suppress several "harsh truths".

In his weekly column Rokhthok in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said it was the BJP's promise to ensure the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir, but the same has not happened despite the abrogation of Article 370, and sought to know whose failure it was.

Raut also labelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being the main promoter of the film.

Attacking the BJP further, the Rajya Sabha member asked the NDA constituent what happened to its promise of integrating Pakistan occupied Kashmir with India.

Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film The Kashmir Files depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following systematic killings of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists. Since its release on March 11, the film has sparked a debate among political parties.

Several BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, have exempted the film from entertainment tax.

"The story based on the fleeing of Hindu Pandits in Kashmir, their killings, atrocities inflicted on them and their anger disturbs one's mind. But what disturbs even more is (the attempt) to divide Hindu-Muslims out of it (the story) again and win the upcoming elections," Raut said.

"The Kashmir File has been opened to win the (forthcoming) elections in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan," he alleged.

Raut said that films like The Kashmir Files should be created, but -- he alleged -- the agenda of such movies has now been to spread hatred and confusion about (political) opponents.

The Shiv Sena leader said the makers of The Kashmir Files had earlier produced 'The Tashkent Files', through which, he alleged, it was implied that only the Gandhi family was responsible for the death of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

"In The Kashmir Files, an attempt has been made to suppress several other harsh truths while showing true news. Thirty-two years ago, the atmosphere in Kashmir was bad not only for Kashmiri Pandits, but for all, and the Kashmiri Pandits were the most-affected," Raut said.

The Rajya Sabha member noted that Kashmiri Sikhs and Muslims, too, were among those killed in Kashmir at that time, besides Kashmir Pandits.

Raut said that the first political murder in Kashmir was of National Conference leader Mohammed Yousuf Halwai in August 1989. Before that, an attack was made on the inspector general of police, in which the officer's bodyguard was killed, he added. -- PTI

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