Eminent film directors and actors such as Adoor Gopalkrishnan, Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Sen, Konkona Sen Sharma, Soumita Chatterjee have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concerns over the growing the cases of lynching.

A total of 49 celebrities have signed the letter expressing regret that 'Jai Shree Ram' has become a war cry today.

The letter also states, "Ram is sacred for the majority community, stop defiling the name of Ram."

Talking about the number of lynching cases witnessed in the country, the celebrities have said, "The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the NCRB that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions."

The letter addressed to PM Modi

The letter also includes Binayak Sen, Soumitro Chatterjee, Revathy, Shyam Benegal, Shubha Mudgal, Rupam Islam, Anupam Roy, Parambrata, Riddhi Sen to name a few.

The letter dated July 23, writes, "You have criticised such lynchings in Parliament Mr. Prime Minister, but that is not enough! What action has actually been taken against the perpetrators?"

"Regrettably "Jai Shri Ram" has become a provocative "war cry" today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name," it added.

Historian Ramchandra Guha, doctor and social activist Binayak Sen, scholar and sociologist Ashis Nandy are among those who have signed the letter.

The letter further adds, "There is no democracy without dissent. People should not be branded anti-national or urban Naxal and incarcerated because of dissent against the government."