Congress says it was Rajiv Gandhi who gheraoed Parliament to protest exodus

New Delhi | The issue of Kashmiri Pandits has flared up since the release of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

The Congress has since been targeted by the BJP and its sympathisers for the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits, but the Congress has counter attacked against the BJP saying that it can’t hide its failure under the garb of a film.

The party Chief Minister in Chhattisgarh was quick to respond to the issue. He watched the film and said that it is based on half truths and the BJP is making an issue out of it.

The Congress has rejected the charge that it is ambiguous on the issue of Kashmiri Pandits and said that most of the work for the welfare of the Pandits has been done by the Congress and the party is not running away from the issue but shares the grief of the Pandits. The party said that in the PMO led by the first Prime Minister to Indira Gandhi the Kashmiri Pandits were given the utmost importance. People like Makhan Lal Fotedar till he breathed his last were given importance in any decision taken on the issue of Kashmir by the party.

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Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala said, “It was Rajiv Gandhi, then LoP, who gheraoed Parliament when the exodus was going on and urged the government that it should help the victims but nobody listened. He was in pain as he has family roots in Kashmir. Who was running the government — it was led by VP Singh with the support of the BJP.”

The party said that, “during 10 years of the UPA rule from 2004 to 2014 the government killed 4241 terrorists while 3000 jobs were given to Kashmiri Pandits as the PM package; 5911 transit houses were built while in the BJP’s eight years of rule only 520 jobs were given and 100 transit houses were built, they are only reopening old wounds but doing nothing,” Surjewala added.

The Congress alleged that Modi is raising the issue for political dividends but doing nothing. The issue of Kashmiri Pandits has heated up since the release of the film and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about it.

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The Prime Minister said on March 15 that films like this need to be made so that people can know the truth. Modi said that there have been attempts to conceal the truth from the nation for a very long time and films like ‘The Kashmir Files’ need to be made to bring out the truth before the people.

“Truth should be brought in the right form before the country. The truth prevailed in Kashmir Files,” a BJP MP said, quoting the Prime Minister. Another MP said that while appreciating the film, the Prime Minister told the party lawmakers to watch it.

It is also learnt that the Prime Minister said that attempts were made to suppress the truth by the ‘flag bearers’ of freedom of expression.

“Torchbearers of freedom of expression have started a campaign to discredit the film. Whole ecosystem is active against the man who tried to present the truth. Instead of judging the film they are trying to stop people from watching the film,” a BJP MP said quoting Prime Minister Modi.

IANS

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