Mumbai: Rejecting demands for tax relief to the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ which deals with the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, ruling party members in Maharashtra questioned the “political agenda” of the BJP in promoting the new release. The Shiv Sena said the ordeal that the community from Kashmir went through three decades back was now merely being exploited as a political issue whereas it was leaders like Bal Thackeray who had reached out to alleviate conditions for Kashmiri students back then.

The Sena on Wednesday questioned why “Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is the pracharak” of The Kashmir Files. MP Sanjay Raut said just like the blame for former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death was pinned on one family through the film The Tashkent Files — made by the same director Vivek Agnihotri — a similar agenda is being implemented through this work.

“This is an attempt to show the outcry and pain of 32 years ago and it should be appreciated. But there are many truths hidden in it,” he said.

“I don't think anyone else knows the pain of Kashmir as much as Shiv Sena. Balasaheb Thackeray raised his voice in the country about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and everyone else was silent due to the fear of extremists…a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits had come to meet Balasaheb. At that time, it was he who said give AK-47s in the hands of the Kashmiri Pandits…the delegation had asked for reservation in seats for education. Balasaheb had at that time ordered 5% seats to be reserved for medical and engineering education in Maharashtra for the children of Kashmiri Pandits. So we know what the real files of Kashmir are,” Raut said.

Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, who also spoke on the issue, rejected the demand made by the BJP to exempt the film from tax in the state. Pawar said entertainment tax is covered under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax in which state and Centre share equal components, and so if the Centre gives relief from its 50% share of the tax, the movie would become tax-free in the entire country. Six BJP-ruled states have already given the film a tax waiver.

“For the Shiv Sena this is not a political agenda. We have done it for Kashmiri Pandits. Which BJP-ruled state has done it? Just by making the film tax free the pain will not be erased. You remember this after 32 years because the next four states now have elections,” added Raut.