Till when will you take advantage by scratching wounds: Cong after PM's 'The Kashmir Files' remarks
New Delhi(PTI): After Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised "The Kashmir Files", a film based on the plight of displaced Kashmiri Hindus, and slammed the "campaign to discredit" it, the Congress accused the BJP government on Tuesday of not doing anything for the welfare of Kashmiri Pandits and asked till when "will you take advantage by scratching wounds"?
The Opposition party also asked as to how long will the "harvest of profit from the cultivation of hate" continue.
Modi on Tuesday praised "The Kashmir Files" and slammed the "campaign to discredit" it by those who claim to be the flagbearers of freedom of expression.
Hitting back at the prime minister, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked till when "will you take advantage by scratching wounds"?
He said Modi must tell the country that when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee the valley under the shadow of terror and barbarism in 1990, what were the 85 BJP MPs doing as it was on their support that the VP Singh government was running at the Centre.
"Why after removing the chief minister, the governor appointed by them instigated the Pandits to flee, instead of providing them security?" Surjewala asked in a series of tweets in Hindi.
"Remember, when Kashmiri Pandits were being persecuted and were fleeing under the BJP-backed government, Rajiv Gandhi 'gheraoed' Parliament and raised their voices. But the BJP gave tacit support to this tragedy, taking out a 'Rath Yatra' for political gains," he said.
The saffron party was like that then and has remained so, Surjewala added.
The Congress leader also asked what did the Modi government do for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the last eight years.
"The situation in Kashmir again worsened, violence escalated and thousands of Kashmiris had to flee. When you could not do anything for Kashmiri Pandits, you got down to showing a 'film' to people?" he asked.
How long will the harvest of profit from the cultivation of hate continue, Surjewala asked.
"For Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits, in the UPA government -- 4,241 terrorists were killed in 10 years, 3,000 jobs were made available under the prime minister's package, 5,911 transit accommodation were built. In the Modi government -- 1,419 terrorists were killed in eight years, only 520 jobs were given, 1,000 transit accommodations built," he said.
Addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Modi spoke at length about the film and lamented that no attempt has been made till now to make movies depicting the horrors of the partition and Emergency as there have been continuous efforts to "bury the truth".
"You must have heard the discussion about The Kashmir Files. Those who carry around the flag of freedom of expression, that whole group is rattled for the last few days," Modi said in his speech, the video of which was shared on Twitter by the BJP and several leaders of the saffron party.
"Instead of assessing the film on the basis of facts and truth, a campaign is on to discredit it. The whole ecosystem opposes anyone who tries to show the truth. They only try to project what they want to see as truth, the conspiracy for the last few days is to ensure that no one sees the truth," the prime minister said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chhattisgarh: Couple, two grandchildren killed over 'property' dispute; two relatives held
Janjgir (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): An elderly couple and their two grandchildren were allegedly murdered by two close relatives to grab family property in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, police said on Thursday.
The couple’s one son, who had earlier spent 15 years in jail for killing his own brother, and his son have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, an official said.
The bodies were found inside their under-construction house in Bhanvtara village under the jurisdiction of the Shivrinarayan police station after labourers reached the site for work in the morning, a senior police official said.
The deceased were identified as Medani Prasad Kashyap (70), his wife Kanti Bai (65), their grandchildren Pitambar Kashyap (17) and Mogra (25).
The deceased couple’s son, Sonsai, and his son Dakeshwar have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, the official said.
According to the preliminary investigation, Medani Prasad had three sons, including Sonsai. Police said Sonsai had murdered one of his brothers in the past and had served a 15-year jail term in the case, while the couple’s third son had reportedly died by suicide.
Sonsai and his son Dakeshwar, alias Golu, allegedly killed his parents and the children of his two deceased brothers with an axe while they were asleep in the under-construction house, he said.
Pitambar was the only son of one deceased brother, while Mogra was the only daughter of another, the official said.
The accused allegedly wanted sole ownership of the family property and are suspected of having committed the crime to eliminate other claimants, police said.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, the official added.
