How Many Kashmiri Pandits Have Been Repatriated?: Cong’s Randeep Surjewala

Mumbai: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday hit out at the Centre, saying India “cannot be run on films” and needed politics and governance.

The remarks come less than a day after the Congress reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on the recently released film The Kashmir Files, accusing the BJP-led administration of seeking political opportunities in sharing hate and lies.

“How many Kashmiri Pandits have been repatriated? How many Kashmiri Pandits have been given jobs?” the Congress spokesperson asked. Addressing a press event, he said that atrocities had been occurring even during the VP Singh-led government. That administration, he added, had continued to watch ‘while Advani ji was driving the chariot of partition with Modi ji’.

“Only one party protested. Opposition leader Rajiv Gandhi gheraoed the parliament. He also hailed from a Kashmiri Pandit family,” Surjewala added.

The release of Vivek Agnihotri’s new film on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the 1990s following the outbreak of terrorism has sparked debate among political parties.

Opposition leaders accused the government of “weaponizing” the pain of the displaced community. In a series of tweets, the Kerala unit of Congress had blamed the BJP-backed VP Singh government and the then governor Jagmohan for the exodus.

Under attack from the BJP over its comments on the film, the Congress’ Kerala unit today alleged that the Sangh Parivar forces “misinterpreted and misused” its tweet on the issue.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said the tweet by the party’s state unit on Kashmir was meant to say that all sorts of atrocities in the valley should be ended and the issue should not be handled in the name of religion or caste.

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