‘Such A Film Should Not Have Been Screened’: Sharad Pawar

The Kashmir Files which was released on March 11, is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the Kashmir insurgency in 1990. Vivek Agnihotri’s film which had got a lot of attention around the world had received both positive and negative reactions. Now, NCP chief Sharad Pawar decided to criticize The Kashmir Files by calling it a propaganda film.

‘TKF brings a poisonous atmosphere’

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday accused the BJP of creating a “poisonous atmosphere” by circulating “false propaganda” about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley.

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“Such a film should not have been cleared for screening. But it is given tax concessions and those responsible for keeping the country united are encouraging people to watch the film that stokes anger among people,” Pawar said.

The NCP head said that Kashmiri Pandits did have to flee the Valley, but Muslims too were targeted similarly. “Pakistan-based terror groups were responsible for the attacks on Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims,” he said.

If the Narendra Modi government cared about Kashmiri Pandits, it should make every effort for their restoration and not stoke anger against minorities, he added.

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Taking a dig at BJP

Pawar further criticized the saffron party for dragging Jawaharlal Nehru into the controversy over Kashmir. He claimed that it was V P Singh who was PM when the exodus of Kashmir Pandits began.

“The V P Singh government was supported by the BJP. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the home minister and Jagmohan, who later contested the Lok Sabha polls from Delhi as a BJP candidate, was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir,” Pawar said.

He further claimed that the then J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah had quit following differences with Jagmohan and that it was the governor who encouraged the departure of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.

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