Jammu: Stating that political parties, including Congress, create division among people on various grounds, former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, member of G23 of the Opposition party, on Sunday, while referring to the 1990 exodus and killings of the Kashmiri Pandits, said that Pakistan and militancy were responsible for all that took place in the valley.
Azad was addressing people during an event in Jammu on Sunday. His remarks came in the backdrop of the ongoing controversy over the film ‘The Kashmir Files’, which is based on the 1990 exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. “Political parties create division (among people) 24×7 on the basis of religion, caste, and other things. I’m not forgiving any party, including mine (Congress). Civil society should stay together. Justice must be given to everyone irrespective of caste, religion,” Azad said.
He stressed that “Mahatma Gandhi was the biggest Hindu and secularist”. “Pakistan and militancy are responsible for what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. It has affected all in Jammu and Kashmir, including Hindus, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, Dogras,” added Azad in Jammu. The film, which focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s, has been mired in controversy since its release on March 11 with the BJP and Opposition parties sparring over the portrayal of the incidents.
At a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the film, saying that attempts were being made to discredit it. As for Congress, Azad is at the forefront of the G23, the group of miffed leaders who want a massive revamp in the grand old party, especially after its debacle in the recent assembly elections. The group held several meetings at Azad's residence in Delhi earlier this week.
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