Sanjay Raut says The Kashmir Files was politicised

More Kashmiri Pandits suffered after its release; it was propaganda by one party against another, says Shiv Sena MP

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on November 29 spoke on the controversy over Israeli filmmaker and jury head of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Nadav Lapid, for his remarks on the film The Kashmir Files.

In his speech at the closing ceremony of the film festival in Goa, Mr. Lapid described the movie as “propaganda” and “vulgar”, and said he was “disturbed and shocked” to see the film being screened at the film festival.

Read: Nadav Lapid | The Israeli filmmaker who criticised ‘The Kashmir Files’ at IFFI

Mr. Raut said that the movie had been politicised and more Kashmiri Pandits suffered after its release.

“It was propaganda by one party against another. A party and the government were busy with publicity… but the maximum number of killings in Kashmir occurred after this film was released. Kashmiri Pandits and security personnel were killed,” Mr. Raut, a loyalist of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleged.

He asked where the people who made the film were when Kashmiri Pandits were attacked. “Some money earned from the movie should be given to Kashmiri Pandits,” Mr. Raut said.

He also asked if Mr. Agnihotri was going to make a sequel of the film.