Dilip Ghosh said, "These people would face protest by BJP cadres wherever they go"

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday described the eminent citizens, who have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over lynching incidents, as "anti-nationals" and alleged that they were acting as "stooges" of the Opposition.

The reaction comes after a group of eminent citizens, including filmmaker Aparna Sen, in a letter to PM Modi expressed concern at the number of "tragic events" unfolding in the country, saying that ''Jai Shri Ram'' has become a "provocative war cry" with many lynchings taking place in its name.

"These intellectuals who have written a letter to the prime minister are anti-nationals. They are actually acting as stooges of Opposition parties who are trying to malign the BJP government," Mr Ghosh said.

The Lok Sabha MP said these people would face protest by Bharatiya Janata Party cadres wherever they go. He also accused them of turning a blind eye when BJP workers were allegedly being "killed" in West Bengal for chanting "Jai Shri Ram".

The July 23 letter, which also stressed that there is "no democracy without dissent", is signed by 49 celebrities from various fields, including filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, vocalist Shubha Mudgal, historian Ramachandra Guha and sociologist Ashis Nandy.