india

Updated: Jul 28, 2019 20:28 IST

In an open letter to 49 signatories who recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over the incidents of lynching, Union Minister Babul Supriyo asked how many of them have written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the ‘gross-violation’ of human rights allegedly committed by her against BJP workers.

“Would like to ask the 49 celebrities as to why are they selective in seeing and hearing things. Mob Lynching is surely a grave offence but how many of you have written to @MamataOfficial about the gross violation of Human Rights she has committed against BJP supporters? Why this bias?” said Babul in the open-letter.

“You see only Muslim, Minorities and Dalits because you purposely choose to ignore the brutal killings of Human Beings simply because they differ from your political ideologies. Many of u stay in Bengal but have never EVER spoken a word even when ‘Democracy’ got murdered in your State under #TMchhi Why? are you scared of Mamta’s goons attacking you or isolating you in your respective fields of art? It is not that such coercion is unheard of in the real world!” read the letter.

“Why don’t you join me in one of my rallies in Asansol where I just fight for my voters against TMchhi atrocities? That are just voters and do not belong to any party? It’s a shame that you choose to expose your bias out in the open instead of probably creating an APOLITICAL, YES APOLITICAL Platform where you can help or stand by victims of all forms, lynching included?” he added.

“So my Dear 49, many of who are my friends, RISE above Narrow ‘Political’ Walls, refrain from being Selective and if u may, select Human beings as your subject, not their caste, religion etc or else who knows, the world may withdraw ‘FALL-ing in Love with U’.Thanking you in anticipation,” said Babul in the open-letter.

On July 23, 49 celebrities wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding that “exemplary punishment” should be meted out “swiftly and surely” in lynching cases. The letter, which also highlighted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as becoming a “provocative war-cry” in the present day, carried the signatures of among others Anurag Kashyap, Mani Ratnam, and Shyam Benegal.

However, on July 26, another open letter titled - ‘Against Selective Outrage and False Narratives’ - by 62 celebrities including classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, termed those who wrote an open letter on mob-lynchings as “self-styled guardians and conscience keepers.”

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)