The 49 celebrities who signed in an open letter to Modi have been accused that they tarnished the image of the country and promoted the separatist tendency.
New Delhi| A case was filed in Muzaffarpur on Thursday against 49 eminent people who wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the increasing incidents of mob lynching. It includes the names of signatories of the letter including Ramchandra Guha, Mani Ratnam and Aparna Sen. The case was registered following the order of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Suryakant Tiwari on a petition filed 2 months ago on behalf of local lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha.
Ojha said that CJM accepted my petition on 20 August. An FIR was lodged at Sadar Police Station on 3 October. The 49 celebrities who signed in an open letter to Modi have been accused that they tarnished the image of the country and promoted the separatist tendency. They are also accused of underestimating the “impressive work” of Prime Minister Modi.
According to the police, a case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) like hurting religious sentiments, treason, disturbing the peace have been imposed.
“Jai Sri Ram a war cry” : 49 celebrities in letter
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 49 celebrities including filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Shyam Bengal, Aparna Sen have written raising concern over rising incidents of mob lynching and religious hate crimes. In the letter, the 49 celebrities have written that ‘Jai Shri Ram” has become a provocative war cry that leads to law and order problem and many lynchings take place in its name. The letter further adds that there is no democracy without dissent. “People shouldn’t be branded as ‘anti-nationals’ or ‘Urban-Naxals’ and incarcerated because of dissents with the government,” it stated.
‘Criticising the ruling party does not imply criticising the nation, anti-government stands could not be equated with anti-national sentiments’ it added.
90% hate crimes after May 2014
Raising concern over the religious hate crimes, the celebs wrote, “254 religious identities-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009, and October 29, 2018, where 91 were killed and 579 were injured”.” About 90 per cent of the hate crimes were reported after May 2019 when your government assumed power nationally,” it added.”
62 celebrities wrote an open letter in response to a letter from 49 celebrities
In response to the letter of 49 celebrities, 62 celebrities including Kangana Ranaut, Prasoon Joshi, wrote an open letter. He said that some people selectively show anger against the government. Its purpose is only to discredit democratic values. The letter asked why do they remain silent when Naxalites target the underprivileged?
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