In an exclusive interview with India Today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Kashmiri Pandits need rehabilitation and not a movie.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Kashmiri Pandits need rehabilitation and not a movie. Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of doing politics over 'The Kashmir Files'.
Arvind Kejriwal said, “A great tragedy happened in Kashmir. 32 years have gone by. After 32 years, government tells Kashmiri Pandits that we made a film for you.”
He added, “Kashmiri Pandits don’t want a movie, they want rehabilitation.”
When asked about the decision not to make The Kashmir Files tax-free, CM Kejriwal said, “For me, the film is not important. It may be important for the BJP.”
Talking about the suffering of the Kashmiri Pandits, he added, “You ask any Kashmiri Pandit, they want rehabilitation. The BJP government has been in power for the past 8 years. Why haven’t they rehabilitated (the Kashmiri Pandits) yet?”
Talking about the AAP government’s effort to help the Kashmiri Pandits, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “We did all we could for all the Kashmiri Pandits who came to Delhi. In 1993, they took jobs as contractual teachers. Since then they have worked as temporary teachers. In between, the BJP came to power, the Congress came to power, none of them made these temporary teachers permanent. We made these teachers permanent.”
“I don’t do politics on the Kashmiri Pandit’s sufferings,” CM Kejriwal said.
When asked if The Kashmir Files is a propaganda movie, CM Kejriwal said, “I haven’t seen the movie. But what I’m saying is that Kashmiri Pandits need rehabilitation and not a movie.”
Clarifying his earlier statement on The Kashmir Files in the Delhi Assembly that mocked the BJP leaders, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “I was laughing at BJP. BJP nautanki kar rahi hai (is doing drama).”
KEJRIWAL SPARKS CONTROVERSY
Last week, CM Arvind Kejriwal hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over their demand to make 'The Kashmir Files' tax-free.
“Ask Vivek Agnihotri to put the film on YouTube. Everyone can watch it for free. What's the need to make the movie tax-free,” Arvind Kejriwal had said during the budget session of the Delhi Assembly.
He then went on to tell BJP workers to join the Aam Aadmi Party. CM Kejriwal said, "Stop behaving like sheep. Come to AAP. You will get respect and honor. We will not engage you in fake sloganeering. We shall use you to build the nation. We will not ask you to stick posters of fake films."
“Some people have earned crores in the name of Kashmiri Pandits and you have been given the work of just putting up the posters,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said while addressing the BJP in the assembly.
Vivek Agnihotri’s directorial ‘The Kashmir Files, featuring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi, was released in theatres in March 11. The film has been declared tax-free in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana, and Uttarakhand.