Members of the MVA government in Maharashtra questioned the political agenda of the BJP in promoting The Kashmir Files. The Maharashtra government rejected the demand for tax-exemption to the film. The Shiv Sena said that the ordeal which the Kashmiri Pandits went through three decades ago was now merely being exploited by the BJP as a political issue because elections are scheduled in four states.
The Sena on March 16 wondered why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself become the spokesperson for the film made by Vivek Agnihotri. Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar asked why the Centre was not exempting the film from tax as GST is levied by the Centre and states at the rate of 9% each. Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena said that for the Shiv Sena, it was not a political agenda. He taunted the BJP government for remembering this chapter of history after 32 years, only because of the forthcoming elections in four states.