NEW DELHI: Actor Kaushik Sen , one of the signatories to an open letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the increase in " religious identity based hate crimes", on Thursday alleged he had received death threats following the letter.

The letter signed by 48 other personalities besides Sen, including historian Ramchandra Guha, filmmakers Aparna Sen , Anurag Kashyap , Ketan Mehta, Shyam Bengal, novelist Amit Choudhury and social activist Binayak Sen , expressed deep concern over lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities. Citing reports from various non-government organisations apart from the 2016 NCRB data (National Crime Records Bureau), the group has demanded exemplary punishment to such crimes.

Sen said the police have been informed about the death threat and the phone number has been forwarded to them. "Yesterday I received a call from an unknown number, where I was threatened of dire consequences if I don't stop raising my voice against lynchings and intolerance. I was told that I would be killed if I don't mend my ways," he told PTI.

Condemning the recent usage of the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan, the group has alleged that the chant “has become a provocative war-cry today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name,” Referring to the name of Lord Ram, that is “sacred to many in the majority community of India”, the letter urged the “highest executive of the country” to put an end to defiling the name of Ram “in this manner”. “

Kaushik Sen and some members of the group of intellectuals had had earlier gone to West Bengal's Bhatpara after two persons were killed in a firing at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas.

