Madhya Pradesh cops to get special leave to watch ‘Kashmir Files’: Home minister

BHOPAL: As several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party exempted the recently-released film ‘The Kashmir Files’ from entertainment tax, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan led government in Madhya Pradesh went one step further.

The movie, described in reviews as a gut-wrenching watch, narrates the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, who faced mass massacres and forced exodus from their own homeland in 1990.

On Monday, state home minister Narottam Mishra ordered the state police chief to give police personnel special leave to police personnel who want to watch the movie with their family.

“The movie is based on true facts. I have just told the Director-General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena to give special leave to policemen whenever they want to go to watch the movie with their families.” Mishra told reporters on Monday.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday exempted the movie from entertainment tax so that maximum people can watch the movie.

“The movie explains the pain, trauma and struggle faced by Kashmiri Hindus. People should know about it to understand the reality,” said the chief minister.

Goa, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments have already announced the decision to exempt the movie from the state tax.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who will watch the movie at a special screening on Tuesday, said the state government doesn’t need to exempt the movie from entertainment tax because it doesn’t impose any.