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Half-day leave for government staff in Assam if they want to watch Kashmir Files
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma watched Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files on Tuesday along with his cabinet colleagues and party MLAs.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced half-day special leave for all government staff in his state if they want to watch Vivek Agnihotri's latest release The Kashmir Files. To avail of this special leave, government employees will only have to inform their superior officers and submit the tickets the next day. Himanta Biswa also clarified that as Assam does not have any entertainment tax, there is no point in a waiver.
‘The Kashmir Files’: List of states which have declared the film tax-free
Himanta has heaped praises on the movie after having watched it on Tuesday. As he tweeted, he took his Cabinet colleagues and other state MLAs to watch the movie. "The Kashmiri Pandit genocide and their exodus are a blot on humanity. Moved by the heart-wrenching portrayal of their plight in The Kashmir Files, which I watched along with my Cabinet colleagues and MLAs and Assam BJP and allies," he tweeted. Vivek Agnihotri also acknowledged the appreciation and thanked the chief minister.
Several BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand have made the movie tax free.
As the movie has opened a floodgate of political criticism, PM Modi on Tuesday praised the movie and slammed the 'campaign to discredit' it. Addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Modi spoke at length about the film and said that people who are criticising the movie are shocked that the truth they tried to suppress is now coming out. "You must have heard the discussion about the Kashmir Files, those who carry around the flag of freedom of expression, that whole group is rattled for the last few days," he said.
"Instead of assessing the film on the basis of facts and truth, a campaign is on to discredit it. The whole ecosystem opposes anyone who tries to show the truth. They only try to project what they want to see as truth, the conspiracy for the last few days is to ensure that no one sees the truth," PM Modi said.
Congress has hurled a counter-attack and asked PM Modi how long his government will take advantage by scratching wounds. "Remember, when Kashmiri Pandits were being persecuted and were fleeing under the BJP-backed government, Rajiv Gandhi 'gheraoed' Parliament and raised their voices. But the BJP gave tacit support to this tragedy, taking out a 'Rath Yatra' for political gains," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
