Fadnavis, Maha minister spar over BJP MLAs attending Kashmir Files screening

State water resources minister Jayant Patil on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP MLAs for attending the screening while business was still being transacted in the Maharashtra assembly.

Leader of opposition in Maharashtra assembly Devendra Fadnavis and state water resources minister Jayant Patil have taken potshots at each other over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs attending the screening of The Kashmir Files.

On Wednesday, Devendra Fadnavis, the former Maharashtra chief minister, questioned whether Jayant Patil had any issues with BJP MLAs attending the screening of the movie.

Patil on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP MLAs for attending the screening while business was still being transacted in the Maharashtra assembly. The minister said that watching The Kashmir Files was more important for the saffron party’s MLAs rather than issues related to the state’s development.

According to news agency PTI, Jayant Patil referred to a special screening of the movie that was organised by BJP leader Kripa Shankar Singh on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, Devendra Fadnavis, the former Maharashtra chief minister, questioned whether Jayant Patil had any issues with BJP MLAs attending the screening of the movie.

Addressing the lower house, Fadnavis said, “The minister spoke (about attending the screening) yesterday. We had decided and we watched ‘The Kashmir Files’ yesterday.” “Do you have any problem with it? We did watch it. You talk about it outside (the House) if you have any problem.”

Patil, in a counter-response to Fadnavis, said that The Kashmir Files is boring after the interval and the LoP should ask the movie’s producers to donate the earnings for constructing homes for Kashmiri Pandits.

“See, you (the BJP leaders) know it. If you are praising the film, it was made spending ₹17 crore and it earned ₹150 crore. Ask the film’s producer to donate the earnings for constructing homes for Kashmiri Pandits,” he said.

The Kashmir Files is a movie based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the peak of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several-BJP ruled states have declared the film tax-free. Maharashtra is yet to declare the film tax-free. The state BJP unit had earlier warned the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of protests if tax is not waived off on the movie.

(With PTI inputs)