On 24th of March, Arvind Kejriwal displayed exemplary insensitivity and mocked the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus that took place in the 1990s. While talking in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal responded to the demand to make The Kashmir Files, a movie based on the 1990s Hindu genocide in Kashmir’, tax-free in the state.
Arvind Kejriwal, laughing and giggling, said that if they wanted The Kashmir Files to be tax-free, Vivek Agnihotri, the director of the movie, should simply release it on YouTube so everyone can watch it for free. Refusing to stop the insult there, Kejriwal further said that the movie was not based on reality and was a “jhooti film”.
Several Kashmiri Hindus came forward to react sharply to the insults heaped by Arvind Kejriwal in calling The Kashmir Files a ‘jhooti film’. Arguable, The Kashmir Files is the first movie that lays bare the massacre and humiliation faced by the Kashmiri Hindus in the 1990s in Kashmir. There have been several movies in the past, however, they have mostly shown a watered-down version of the truth.
Kashmiri Hindu Utpal Koul took to Twitter to post a picture of his burnt down house in Kashmir. He said that this was his house in Kashmir which had 14 rooms and housed 5,000 books on the culture and history of Kashmir. It was burnt down by Islamic terrorists in the 1990s.
Mr. Kejriwal, this was my house of 14 rooms which had 5000 books on Kashmir and our cultural heritage. All was burnt by Islamist terrorists. #TheKashmirFiles is only an introduction of the genocide we faced. Please don’t ridicule our pain, Sir. @ArvindKejriwal @vivekagnihotri pic.twitter.com/p6PxBwTNjr
— Utpal Koul (@SarveSukhina) March 24, 2022
Another Kashmiri Hindu, Ashish, took to Twitter to shame Kejriwal by saying that it was indeed a true movie and not a “jhooti film”. He said it was the story of the genocide of his people.
Dear @ArvindKejriwal – The Kashmir Files is not “Jhoothi Film”.. It is true story of genocide of us, Kashmiri Hindus.
— Aashish (@kashmiriRefuge) March 24, 2022
Shame on you. pic.twitter.com/lXHEJWhRJT
Pawan Durani, a Kashmiri Hindu activist also commented on the insensitive remarks made by Arvind Kejriwal. He said that in the 1990s, Bitta Karate killed Hindus on the streets of Kashmir and today, Kejriwal killed Hindus inside the Delhi parliament.
I am pained today ! If Bitta Karate killed us in open , Kejriwal killed us in Delhi assembly
— Pawan Durani (@PawanDurani) March 24, 2022
Manu Khajuria, another well-known Kashmiri Hindu activist, said that Arvind Kejriwal knew his electoral base and was pandering to them by denying the genocide of Hindus.
The Arvind Kejriwal speech…he knows who his electoral base is and he has unabashedly serenaded them.
— Manu Khajuria ?? (@KhajuriaManu) March 24, 2022
Apart from Kashmiri Hindus, several other leaders from different walks of life also responded to the comments made by Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Assembly. Mohandas Pai, senior businessman, responded with disgust to the comments saying that his statements were hollow, terming his arguments “idiotic”.
An idiotic argument by @ArvindKejriwal and the empty craniums applaud! What a farce ! https://t.co/gj5wQl6iWd
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) March 24, 2022
When a film is made tax-free in a particular state, the state government lets go of the entertainment tax levied by the state for that particular film. It reduces the price of ticket considerably which makes the film accessible to a wider audience. While Kejriwal led Delhi government had no qualms in making films like Swara Bhaskar’s Nil Batte Sannata and Taapsee Pannu’s Saand Ki Aankh tax-free, a film on Kashmiri Hindu genocide, which truly deserves to be seen by more people, is being mocked by the ruling party in Delhi.
