‘The Kashmir Files’: List of states which have declared the film tax-free
All the states where the Vivek Agnihotri directorial has been made tax-free have BJP governments.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri's ‘The Kashmir Files’ has been declared tax-free in several states, all of which are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The film, which is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s, hit the theatres on March 11 and has received adulation and criticism in equal measure. It stars actors Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, among others.
Also Read | 'Conspiracy to discredit Kashmir Files', PM Modi slams 'Jamaat' slamming movie
‘The Kashmir Files’ has been made tax-free in the following states, with other BJP governments likely to follow suit:
(1.) Uttar Pradesh: Quoting CM-elect Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) announced on Tuesday that the film is now tax-free in the state.
(2.) Goa: “The movie makes you numb, leaving you to introspect on why this history was suppressed and hidden from the people. The youngsters of India must definitely watch this movie to know what atrocities Kashmiri Hindus went through,” tweeted outgoing CM Pramod Sawant, who led the party to victory in the recently-held assembly polls.
(3.) Tripura: Biplab Deb, the northeastern state's chief minister, said on March 14 that the film ‘depicts the heart wrenching struggle and trauma faced by Kashmiri Hindus.’
Madhya Pradesh: Describing the film as ‘heart wrenching,’ chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it should be watched by as many people of the state as possible.
(4.) Karnataka: Hailing Agnihotri and his team, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai called ‘The Kashmir Files’ a ‘blood-curdling, poignant & honest narrative of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their home land.’
(5.) Haryana: On Sunday, chief minister ML Khattar watched the film, which, he said, took him back to his days when he worked in the erstwhile state for the BJP.
(6.) Gujarat: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel has decided to make ‘The Kashmir Files’ tax-free in the state, tweeted his office.
(7.) Uttarakhand: Expressing his eagerness to watch the movie, outgoing CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said he has directed the chief secretary to make the film tax-free in the hill state. The BJP won the recently-held assembly polls in the state.
Opposition parties, on the other hand, have dismissed the film as a ‘propaganda tool’ of the ruling BJP.
