Kerala Congress leader VD Satheesan said on Monday the party will look into the issue of tweets (deleted and reshared with modification) shared by the state unit of the grand old party regarding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu & Kashmir.
A major controversy has erupted ever since the release of Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘Kashmir Files’, based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits since the Valley’s insurgency. A number of states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have allowed tax-free screening of the film in theatres.
Satheesan, the leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly said, “We don’t have any idea about the issue. The Kerala Congress or UDF (United Democratic Front) in Kerala never discussed the matter on this film on any platform… I’ll check with the authorities concerned. We will inquire and take action.”
In a series of tweets with the hashtag #KashmirFiles vs truth on Sunday, the Kerala Congress said, “After the terrorist attacks, instead of providing Pandits security, BJP’s governor Jagmohan asked them to relocate to Jammu. A large number of Pandit families did not feel secure and left the valley in fear.”
It also claimed that over one lakh Muslims were killed in the erstwhile state in the wake of the communal riots (1948) after the Partition, while no Pandits were killed in retaliation.
Soon after, BJP leader and former Union KJ Alphons said the Congress had little understanding of history.
“The Congress doesn’t understand history… and they’ve hugely distorted the version of history. Under the watch of Congress dispensations, over a lakh Pandits left the valley,” Alphons added
Later, the tweets were deleted, but the party came back with modified tweets, adding that it stood by its statements and hitting out at the saffron camp over the issue.
Tweeting with a new hashtag #KashmiriPandits, the party wrote from its official social media handle, “We stand by every single fact in yesterday’s tweet thread about the #KashmiriPandits issue. However, we’ve removed a part of the thread, seeing the BJP hate factory taking it out of context and using it for their communal propaganda. We’ll continue to speak out the truth.”
It further wrote that for the Congress, the Kashmir issue is a long battle between separatists and those who stand with India, unlike the BJP.
“For Congress, it’s a long battle between separatists & those who stand with India. Let’s respect ALL Kashmiris who’ve made sacrifices in this battle. Congress brought peace & rehabilitated victims. BJP ruined it for politics,” it further wrote.
“Terrorism has no religion. Innocent civilians are its victims. Congress firmly stands with all the victims. We don’t differentiate victims based on religion whereas BJP keeps clashes alive for electoral benefits & helps NONE. #KashmiriPandits know it better than others,” it added.
