In response to people’s pleas to make The Kashmir Files movie tax-free in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri to make the film available for free on the video streaming platform YouTube.
Mocking the decisions of various state governments of making The Kashmir Files tax-exempted in their respective states, CM Arvind Kejriwal stated, “They are saying to make the movie The Kashmir Files tax-free, better upload it on YouTube and the whole movie will become free.”
“Why to insist on a tax exemption, if one is so interested, why not ask director Vivek Agnihotri to upload it on YouTube and everyone will see the movie in one day,” he added.
BJP wants #TheKashmirFiles to be tax free.
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 24, 2022
Why not ask @vivekagnihotri to upload the whole movie on YouTube for FREE?
-CM @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/gXsxLmIZ09
Kejriwal says ’The Kashmir Files’ is a ‘jhoothi’ film
Furthermore, the Delhi chief minister also insinuated that ‘The Kashmir Files’ is a movie not grounded in reality and that is a “jhoothi” movie.
CM @ArvindKejriwal to BJP:#TheKashmirFiles जैसी झूठी Picture के Poster लगाते हुए अच्छे नहीं लगते, शोभा नहीं देता.. pic.twitter.com/F25DddaZlH
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 24, 2022
Denying the genocide endured by the Kashmiri Pandits, Kejriwal took a swipe at the BJP and advised them to not promote a ”jhoothi” film. “We will grant you honour. We will give you respect. We will take you along in nation building. We won’t ask you to put up the posters of a jhoothi film. At least stop promoting this movie. It does not behoove you. You came to do something good in politics, not for promoting films and posters,” said Kejriwal while sporting a wide grin.
Kejriwal government had earlier made movies like ’83 and Saand Ki Aankh tax-free
It is to note that the same Delhi Government has provided tax exemptions for various movies. Very recently, the Ranvir Singh Very recently, the Ranvir Singh starrer movie, 83, was declared tax-free by Arvind Kejriwal in December 2021.
Back in 2019, Arvind Kejriwal also declared the movie Saand Ki Aankh tax-free. In a tweet made in October 2019, he wrote, “Delhi govt. gives tax-free status to the @taapsee & @bhumipednekar starrer #SaandKiAankh in Delhi. The message of the movie should reach to people of every age, gender & background―The power of a dream, & the power derived from it to achieve it, despite any socio-cultural blocks”
Delhi govt. gives tax-free status to the @taapsee & @bhumipednekar starrer#SaandKiAankh in Delhi.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 25, 2019
The message of the movie should reach to people of every age, gender & background―The power of a dream, & the power derived from it to achieve it, despite any socio-cultural blocks
Back again in 2016, Kejriwal declared the Swara Bhaskar starrer movie Nil Batte Sannata as tax-free. In a tweet, he wrote tagging Swara Bhaskar, “Nil Batte Sannatta is a great great movie. U must watch it. Tax free in Delhi. @ReallySwara”
Nil Batte Sannatta is a great great movie. U must watch it. Tax free in Delhi. @ReallySwara
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 22, 2016
When a film is made tax-free in a particular state, the state government lets go of the entertainment tax levied by the state for that particular film. It reduces the price of ticket considerably which makes the film accessible to a wider audience. While Kejriwal led Delhi government had no qualms in making films like Swara Bhaskar’s Nil Batte Sannata and Taapsee Pannu’s Saand Ki Aankh tax-free, a film on Kashmiri Hindu genocide, which truly deserves to be seen by more people, is being mocked by the ruling party in Delhi.
