Not a single Pandit returned to Kashmir during BJP rule: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday once again accused the BJP of playing politics over the issue of Kashmiri Pandits and asked how many of the displaced the party had helped since coming to power at the Centre.

As the war of words between Kejriwal and the BJP over The Kashmir Files intensified, the Aam Aadmi Party chief again suggested that the movie be uploaded on YouTube and proceeds earned from it spent for the welfare of Pandits.

Replying to a query on his remarks on the film and the BJP’s criticism, he said: “In the past 25 years, since the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, there have been BJP governments at the Centre for 13 years, including the last eight years. Has any Kashmiri Pandit family been rehabilitated in this period? Not a single family has returned to Kashmir.”

Also read: Shikara on Amazon Prime too fails to tell the ‘true’ story of Kashmiri Pandits

Kejriwal said that concrete steps should be taken to ensure that Pandits can return to their homes.

Also read: Muslims will have to pay the price now: Farooq Abdullah on The Kashmir Files

He said The Kashmir Files – panned in some sections of the media as a propaganda movie that seeks to profit off the Kashmiri Pandit exodus from the Valley – has earned about ₹200 crore, and alleged that “the BJP is making money on someone’s tragedy” through the film.

“This is a crime. The country will not tolerate this,” the CM said.

“The BJP is doing politics over the issue. We demand The Kashmir Files film be uploaded on YouTube so that the entire country can understand the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. The money earned from it should be spent on the welfare of Kashmiri Pandits,” he said during the post-budget press conference.

Kejriwal first made this demand on the floor of the Delhi Assembly, when he criticised the decision to give tax-free status to the movie. (See the video below – uploaded by the AAP on their YouTube channel.)

He also took swipe at BJP leaders – including Prime Minister Narendra Modi –  for promoting the film.

The BJP soon hit back, accusing him of mocking those who lost their lives to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Posting a picture showing Kejriwal and other AAP MLAs laughing in the assembly, BJP general secretary BL 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.”