Truth is harsh: Ex-J&K DGP Vaid defends Dhurandhar amid BJP propaganda row
India Today
Former J&K DGP SP Vaid defended Dhurandhar as based on truth, while Congress criticised it as BJP propaganda, sparking a political row despite the film's strong box office performance.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid has defended the film Dhurandhar: The Revenge amid a political storm, saying the movie reflects uncomfortable truths and rejecting opposition claims that it promotes a divisive agenda.
Reacting to criticism from Congress leaders, Vaid said the backlash stems from the harsh realities portrayed in the film. “The truth is harsh. Atiq Ahmed was a gangster. The whole world knows that he received illegal weapons, and his links with Pakistan are known to the world,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | Jammu: On 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' film, Former J&K DGP SP Vaid says, "The truth is harsh...Atiq Ahmed was a gangster. The whole world knows that he received illegal weapons, and his links with Pakistan are known to the world...What has been shown is based on the truth. pic.twitter.com/SpYK4PlQ5q— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2026
He added that the film is rooted in factual events. “What has been shown is based on the truth. Our own leaders were involved in fake currency racket,” Vaid said, pushing back against allegations that the movie is politically motivated.
The remarks come after Congress MP Tariq Anwar criticised the film, alleging it is part of a broader attempt to spread communal divisions.
“It is clear that people who made the film are basically hatemongers. They have taken the contract to spread hatred across the country,” Anwar told ANI, claiming the portrayal of violence targets a particular community.
Fourteen people were arrested after a video purportedly showed a group of people holding an Iftar gathering on a boat in the Ganga and consuming chicken biryani. Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the arrest of 14 Muslims over the incident.
In just a few whirlwind days, Laura Loomer, the hard critic, has become a self-proclaimed India lover, proving that sometimes all it takes is a proper dose of reality to flip the script.
India's High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, underscored that targeting commercial vessels and endangering civilian crews cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia cited 'recent developments' on March 18 as the cause behind the death of the Indian national. On that day, Saudi Arabia downed four ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh. However, some debris fell near a refinery south of the city.
An Air India flight from Delhi to VancAir India's Delhi–Vancouver AI 185 flight returned to Delhi after over seven hours in air due to an unspecified operational issue, making a U-turn over Chinese airspace.
Shashi Tharoor again deviated from the Congress line to praise PM Modi's diplomatic approach to the Middle East turmoil. The MP asserted that the government's 'restraint' reflected strength, not weakness.
A Delhi court granted 10-day interim bail to activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case. He walked out of jail on Friday after nearly six years in jail.
According to the police, the gang befriended individuals via a dating app called 'Grindr' and robbed them of cash, jewellery, and funds transferred through UPI. Since the first arrests on Monday, Lucknow Police have been tracking down other victims to dismantle the criminal network.
The police have taken Sohail Malik and Mehak (Sane Iram), the two masterminds, along with four others, into their custody.
A clip of devotees being pushed in the sanctum of Deoghar's Baidyanath Dham made BJP MP Nishikant Dubey slam the Hemant Soren government. However, it has triggered a larger debate on the treatment meted out to common people and the privilege given to VIPs.
The incident dates back to February 18, 2017, when Jitesh Kumar Gandhi attempted to withdraw Rs 10,000 from a State Bank of India ATM but received neither cash nor a transaction receipt. However, his account was debited.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Chhatrapal, while sentencing him to life imprisonment. The case underlined the importance of decisive eyewitness accounts like the mother's testimony in securing timely convictions.