Anupam Kher Reminds Kejriwal About Kashmir Files Remark

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

1. Anupam Kher reminded Kejriwal of his remarks on ‘The Kashmir Files’.
2. Kher mocked AAP’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections.
3. Kejriwal had opposed making the film tax-free in Delhi in 2022.
4. Kher accused Kejriwal of making fun of Kashmiri Pandits.
5. BJP defeated AAP in Delhi, returning to power.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher reacted to AAP’s crushing defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, reminding Arvind Kejriwal of his remarks on ‘The Kashmir Files’. The film was at the center of controversy in 2022. Anupam Kher shared a picture of Arvind Kejriwal from the Delhi Assembly from 2022, suggesting that his remarks on “Kashmiri Hindus” had played a role in his downfall.

“It is not right to hurt anyone. But laughing at those who have been wronged, making fun of their pain, hurting their soul, is crossing all limits of humanity! And then… a ‘sigh’ comes out from that sad soul even though it is not wanted! And that same sigh later takes the form of a ‘curse’! Perhaps this is what has happened to the people in this picture! This is the law of destiny! The day these people laughed in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi, lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits shed tears of blood and helplessness!” Kher wrote in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP, which had been in power in Delhi for over a decade, suffered a major setback, with Kejriwal himself losing the New Delhi seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma. The actor was referring to Kejriwal’s remarks in 2022, when the then Delhi Chief Minister dismissed the BJP’s demand to make ‘The Kashmir Files’ tax-free in Delhi. During the budget session of the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal had said, “For me, film is not important. It may be important for the BJP. Ask Vivek Agnihotri to put the film on YouTube. Everyone can watch it for free. What’s the need to make the movie tax-free?”

Kher, who starred in The Kashmir Files, had strongly criticised Kejriwal at the time, accusing him of reducing a serious issue to a joke. He slammed the AAP leader for trying to do a “stand-up comedian’s job”. For example, Kher pointed out the insensitivity of trivializing the pain and suffering depicted in the film.

Kejriwal later defended himself, claiming that his laughter in the Assembly was directed at the BJP and not at ‘The Kashmir Files’ or the plight of Kashmiri Hindus. “We were laughing at the BJP. The BJP is indulging in gimmicks instead of rehabilitating them [Kashmiri Pandits]. The BJP and its workers are sticking posters of the movie everywhere. Is this what BJP leaders entered politics for?” he said in 2022. This defense did little to quell the criticism.

Notably, the BJP won 48 of 70 seats in the Delhi elections and will return to power in the national capital after 27 years. The outcome of the election has been interpreted by some as a reflection of public sentiment towards issues raised by ‘The Kashmir Files’. Anupam Kher’s comments have reignited the debate surrounding Kejriwal’s earlier remarks and their potential impact on the election results.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

Anupam Kher reminds Kejriwal about Kashmir Files remark. Mocks AAP’s defeat. Kejriwal opposed tax-free status in 2022. BJP wins Delhi election.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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