BJP leader Amit Malviya has joined the furious pushback against Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid and his 'propaganda... vulgar' critique of 'The Kashmir Files'. Malviya, head of the saffron party's IT cell, claimed parallels between Lapid's condemnation of the Vivek Agnihotri film and the denial of the Holocaust, or genocide of Jews during World War II.
"Israel's ambassador responds to compatriot filmmaker Nadav Lapid's criticism of 'The Kashmir Files'. For the longest time, people even denied the Holocaust and called 'Schindler’s List' a propaganda, just like some are doing to Kashmir Files."
"Truth eventually triumphs, no matter what…" Malviya tweeted.
Also read | Sanjay Raut amid row over IFFI jury head's remarks: 'Make Kashmir Files 2.0 too'
The reference was to Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon's tweet condemning Lapid's criticism of 'The Kashmir Files' – a movie about the Kashmiri Pandits after militancy erupted in the Valley.
The BJP's Goa spokesperson Savio Rodrigues also slammed Lapid and declared his comments an insult to the 'horrors faced by Kashmiri Hindus'. A Supreme Court lawyer has filed a police case against Lapid in the party-ruled state, alleging abuse to the Hindu religion.
"The statement by filmmaker and IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid over 'The Kashmir Files' is an insult to the horrors faced by Kashmir Hindus (in the past). You can critique a film artistically but to term the truth about the brutality faced by the Kashmiri Pandits propaganda is shameful," Rodrigues was quoted by news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}"The statement by filmmaker and IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid over 'The Kashmir Files' is an insult to the horrors faced by Kashmir Hindus (in the past). You can critique a film artistically but to term the truth about the brutality faced by the Kashmiri Pandits propaganda is shameful," Rodrigues was quoted by news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}"Having watched it twice, I did not find it to be 'vulgar' or 'a propaganda'. It merely stated a brutal truth about a brutality that happened to the Kashmiri Pandits," he declared.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant also condemned Lapid's statement. "Israel's Ambassador also said that he misused the platform. National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) will take cognizance of it.He should not have used such words."
Lapid - during his speech on Monday at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India that was held in Goa - called 'The Kashmir Files' 'vulgar' and a 'propaganda movie'. He said he had been left 'disturbed and shocked' to see the film screened at IFFI.