Money Earned From 'The Kashmir Files' Should Be Spent On Welfare Of Kashmiri Pandits: Kejriwal

Several BJP leaders, actors and the director of the movie have taken strong exception to Delhi Chief Minister's recent remarks. 

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with Manish Sisodia during a press conference. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Despite attracting massive criticism over his remarks on 'The Kashmir Files', Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday once again reiterated his demand to upload the film on YouTube so that everyone can watch it.

In his fresh rebuttal, Kejriwal also said that the money earned from the movie should be spent on the welfare of Kashmiri Pandits.

"We demand 'The Kashmir Files' film to be uploaded on YouTube. Money earned from it should be spent on the welfare of Kashmiri Pandits," Kejriwal said.

Furthermore, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for promoting the film and asked if a single Kashmiri Pandit family relocated to the Valley by the saffron party in last 8 years?

"Was a single Kashmiri Pandit family relocated to the Valley by BJP in its 13 years of governance? BJP doing politics over the issue," Kejriwal said.

13 साल केंद्र में रहने के बावजूद BJP ने 1 भी Kashmiri Pandit का पुर्नवास नहीं किया; उनकी त्रासदी पर Film बना करोड़ों कमाए

हमारी मांग:

▪️#TheKashmirFiles को YouTube पर डालें
▪️जो 200 Cr कमाए, वो उनके पुर्नवास पर ख़र्च हों
▪️उनके घर लौटने के लिए ठोस कदम उठाएँ

-CM @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/mvGhYumru6

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 26, 2022

Delhi CM's recent statement came a day after he asked "The Kashmir Files" director Vivek Agnihotri to put the film on YouTube. The remarks came after several BJP leaders demanded that the Bollywood movie be made tax-free in the national capital during the ongoing Budget session of Delhi Assembly.

Taking a jibe at BJP leaders demanding to make the film tax-free in Delhi, Kejriwal on Friday said that "he (Agnihotri) has earned crores in the name of Kashmiri Pandits and you are putting up posters on the walls".

"The Kashmir Files", based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley due to terrorism in 1990s, has triggered a massive controversy ever since it was launched. 

While the movie is being actively pushed by BJP-ruled states by offering tax concessions, the Opposition has termed it to be one-sided and too violent. Some critics have accused the makers of "The Kashmir Files" of painting Kashmiri Muslims in a bad light.

Several BJP leaders, actors and the director of the movie have taken strong exception to Delhi Chief Minister's recent remarks. 

Posting a picture showing Kejriwal and other AAP MLAs laughing in the Delhi Assembly, BJP general secretary B L Santhosh tweeted: "Never forget. They are laughing (at) people who lost their lives in J&K due to terrorism, laughing at mothers who lost their children, children who lost their parents, security forces who were killed, women who were butchered, children who were shot at.... Shameless anarchists."

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala tweeted: "Face of Hindu hatred looks like this."