‘Had PM Modi…’: Mehbooba Mufti slams Centre over ‘The Kashmir Files’

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on its former ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the recently released movie The Kashmir Files.

“The manner in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi are promoting the film, had they done something for the Kashmiri Pandits in the last eight years, then their situation would have been different today,” Mufti added.

Mufti’s remarks come a day after she accused the BJP of “wanting to divide the nation” and “make many Pakistans” and said Congress had kept the nation safe during its rule.

“My father’s uncles and cousins were killed. We want the violence to stop. They (BJP) want the fight with Pakistan to prevail. They talk about Hindu-Muslim, Jinnah, Babur, Aurangzeb… Aurangzeb was there 500 years back, Babur 800 years back, what is the relevance of Babur-Aurangzeb now? Are not there issues like roads, irrigation, unemployment?” she asked.

Mufti has been extremely critical of the Centre and BJP-ruled states backing the Vivek Agnihotri directorial which depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley after members of the community were targeted and killed by Pakistan-backed terrorist groups.

The PDP president had said that the Centre was weaponising the pain of Kashmiri Pandits by promoting the movie.

“The manner in which GOI (government of India) is aggressively promoting Kashmir Files and is weaponising pain of Kashmiri Pandits makes their ill intention obvious,” Mehbooba Mufti tweeted on March 16.

Other prominent J&K leaders in the valley have also raised objections towards The Kashmir Files.

National Conference vice president and former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the movie was far from the truth and the filmmakers ignored the sacrifices of Muslims and Sikhs who were also victims of militancy.

“When the unfortunate incident of Kashmiri Pandit migration took place, Farooq Abdullah was not the chief minister. Jagmohan was the governor. It was V P Singh’s government at the Centre which was supported by the BJP from outside,” Abdullah told reporters last week.

Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone said that Kashmir Files is a piece of fiction, alleging that the makers of such movies would drown India in hatred.

“This film is fiction. I appeal to the Prime Minister to give him (Vivek Agnihotri) a Rajya Sabha seat, otherwise, we do not know what else he will make. There is a new fashion these days, be it Anupam Kher or him, they all want to become Rajya Sabha members. The government should make them Rajya Sabha members, otherwise, they will drown this country in hate and hatred,” Lone said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed the criticism of the film, saying those claiming to be flagbearers of freedom of speech were out to discredit the film.

“Those people who claim to be flagbearers of freedom of speech, are furious for the past 5-6 days. Instead of praising the film based on facts, they are out to discredit Kashmir Files,” the prime minister said.

Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty and Darshan Kumaar in pivotal roles. Several BJP-ruled states have declared the film tax-free.