On March 15, senior journalist and BJP member MJ Akbar talked about the reply he had gotten from the then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the exodus and the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. He said when he raised the question to the PM, the reply he got was a political one.
Speaking to ANI, Akbar said he was heartbroken by the events that had happened during the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. “When I recall the events, I feel shaken to the core. I could not see how one community has to live as a refugee in our own country. This is not done.”
#WATCH MJ Akbar, senior journalist and BJP member recalls his question to the then PM Rajiv Gandhi on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits pic.twitter.com/aZ3UkudctC
— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2022
Recalling the reply of then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi over the issue, Akbar said, “I raised the question to the government. The reply that I got was more of a political one. They said ‘Farooq Abdullah’s government was in power in Kashmir. How can we interfere’. He [Abdullah] was his [Rajiv Gandhi] friend at that time.”
‘Govt cannot turn a blind eye’
Questioning the inaction of then-government, Akbar said, “But the government has responsibility. When such horrific incidents were happening, the Centre cannot turn a blind eye.”
‘The Kashmir Files’
The discussions related to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley started pouring out after the release of filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s latest release, The Kashmir Files. Based on the true events, the film has brought the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits to the mainstream. So far, the film has done business of over 60 crores at the box office and is expected to touch the 100 crore mark very soon.
