It is election time with Gujarat Assembly polls and MCD elections around the corner. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would want to perform well in both the elections. However, the recent controversy over ‘The Kashmir Files’ could play spoilsport. So, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seems to have gone into damage control mode.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been making headlines for the past few days- first for his remarks mocking BJP leaders over ‘The Kashmir Files’ and now for some statements that seem to be an attempt at controlling the political damage caused.
Read more: Content is King: The Kashmir Files proves it
Damage control mode
In an interview to Navika Kumar, group editor, Times Network and editor-in-chief, Times Now Navbharat, the Delhi CM talked about the controversy surrounding ‘The Kashmir Files’. Kejriwal said that his remarks about the The Kashmir Files movie in Delhi Assembly were “presented in a wrong way”.
He said that despite being in power for eight years, the BJP was promoting a movie instead of arranging rehabilitation for those who had to leave Jammu & Kashmir.
The Delhi CM said, “This has been presented in a wrong way. A very big injustice has been done to the Kashmiri Hindus. It was a very big tragedy.”
Kejriwal added, “Arrangements should have been made to rehabilitate all those who were compelled to leave Kashmir. Land should have been made available there and a policy should have been made.”
Laughing at the BJP; not at Kashmiri Pandits
Kejriwal also said, “For BJP, ‘The Kashmir Files‘ is important. For me, Kashmiri Pandits are more important. Among those who had to flee Kashmir, there were 233 who joined Delhi government as contract teachers in 1993. When our government came, I made the 233 teachers permanent. We didn’t make a film on them.”
Read more: ‘The Kashmir Files’ crosses the ‘200 Crore mark’
When asked about meme circulating on social media, Kejriwal clarified that he was laughing at the BJP and was not talking about Kashmiri Pandits. Kejriwal was also asked about Kher’s statement that Delhi CM’s remarks in Delhi Assembly were insensitive. Kejriwal said that the actor was only doing his work.
He added, “His making a film isn’t wrong. The way BJP is promoting the film is wrong.”
Elections ahead
Kejriwal had earlier responded to BJP’s demand to declare the movie tax-free. He had said that instead of declaring the movie as tax-free, it should be uploaded on YouTube so that everyone could watch it for free.
He had also said that while some people were minting money in the name of Kashmiri Pandits, BJP functionaries were putting up posters of the movie.
The BJP had accused Kejriwal of being insensitive towards the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. Several comments were also made on social media that were critical of Kejriwal’s remarks about the The Kashmir Files movie.
Make no mistake, any mobilization of sentiment on this issue would have helped the BJP and worked against the AAP, especially in the context of BJP’s identity as a saffron party and its Hindutva poll plank.
The AAP is trying to emerge as a pan-India party, especially after a landslide victory in the state of Punjab. The upcoming MCD polls and Gujarat elections are thus crucial for the party. Kejriwal’s remarks thus seem to control the political damage that was being caused due to The Kashmir Files controversy.
This bastard monster chameleon #Mohdkerjiluddin a born perpetual liar, Khalistan terrorist groups supporter must be annihilated. This bastard and monster fasting parasite #Annahazare and all AAP politicians are dangerous to India. Home Minister #Amitshah what is happening with your promised investigation of this monster?