Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday shared a Facebook post on Kashmiri Pandits and agreeing to the view expressed in the post, he said Kashmiri Pandits suffered terribly but demonising Kashmiri Muslims does not help the Pandits either. “Hatred divides and kills. Kashmiris need justice. All need to be heard, helped and healed,” Shashi Tharoor tweeted.
Tharoor’s comment comes amid a row over director Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, which has gained praise from BJP leaders including PM Modi, Union minister Amit Shah, and several Bollywood personalities. The Congress, on the other hand, slammed the movie by calling it propagandist.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday criticised the film and said it only incites hate. “Some films inspire change. Kashmir Files incites hate. Truth can lead to justice, rehabilitation, reconciliation and peace. Propaganda twists facts, distorts history to whip up anger and promote violence. Statesmen heal wounds. Pracharaks exploit fear and prejudice to divide and rule,” he said in a tweet.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has also found nothing praiseworthy about the movie as he said the movie is not based on facts. “If Kashmiri Pandits have fallen victims to terrorism, we have utmost regret about that, but let us not forget the sacrifices of Muslims and Sikhs who were also targeted by the same gun,” he said.
The movie has been made tax free in several BJP-rules states while the Congress is questioning why PM Modi and his ministers are ‘promoting’ the film by talking about it.
Amid all these controversies, Vivek Agnihotri has been given Y category security with CRPF commando cover, which means 7-8 commandos will guard him round the clock. This move came weeks after Agnihotri claimed a threat to his life over the release of his film.