Why no ‘Lakhimpur Files’? Akhilesh Yadav’s jibe at BJP over support to ‘Kashmir Files’

In an apparent jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said that after The Kashmir Files — a Vivek Agnihotri-directed film on the mass exodus oh Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley — another movie should be made on the violence that took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district last year, which claimed eight lives.

“If Kashmir Files is made on Kashmir then Lakhimpur Filmes should also be made on the Lakhimpur violence. In the neighbouring district, farmers were run over by a jeep. Time should come and a film should me made on that violence too. The BJP will have to answer on issues like inflation, unemployment and development,” Yadav was quoted Aaj Tak as saying.

On October 3 last year, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area. Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV following which the driver and two BJP workers were allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence that triggered outrage among opposition parties and farmer groups agitating over the Centre’s now-repealed agri laws.

With Mos Home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish being the main accused in the case, the opposition launched a sharp offensive against the government, accusing it of shielding the minister and his son and being insensitive to the farmers. Ashish Mishra is currently out on bail.

Appreciating Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said more films like this need to be made so that people can know the truth. Prime Minister Modi was addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting here before the start of day’s proceedings in Parliament.

It is learnt that PM Modi said that there have been attempts to conceal the truth from the nation for a very long time and films like ‘The Kashmir Files’ need to be made to bring out the truth before people.

The video of the prime minister’s speech was shared on Twitter by the BJP and several party leaders. Released last week, “The Kashmir Files” stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi. The film has been written by Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios.