GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his cabinet colleagues, along with several legislators from the ruling BJP-led coalition, watched the 'The Kashmir Files' together in a cinema in Guwahati on Tuesday evening.
Even as the opposition criticized the state government for allegedly spreading "anti-Muslim agenda" by "promoting" the movie, Sarma said the film has depicted the true picture of the pain and agony behind the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
"Everyone was sending WhatsApp messages to me requesting that I watch 'The Kashmir Files'. Their view is that the situation of the people in Assam would be like this (Kashmiri Pandits) after 10 years," said Sarma. The CM was yet to come out of the cinema, till the filing of this report.
Though several states have made the film tax-free, the Assam government is currently not imposing any entertainment tax on any film considering the plight of the industry, especially halls.
Opposition Congress and AIUDF have slammed the BJP-led government for "prioritizing" the recently released film. Assam PCC general secretary Apurba Bhattacharjee said, "This is very unfortunate that after taking oath on the basis of the Constitution of India, the Assam government is promoting a film like 'The Kashmir Files'. No government can promote polarization-oriented drama or cinema."
AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam alleged that promoting 'The Kashmir Files' is part of BJP’s "communal agenda". "I have learnt that 'The Kashmir Files' has been made in such a way that it shows Muslims had unleashed atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits," said Islam.
