More than 700 Bollywood and noted theatre artists have issued a joint appeal to defeat the BJP in this year’s Lok Sabha polls. Notable among them are Naseeruddin Shah, Anurag Kashyap, Konkana Sen Sharma, Manav Kaul, Lillete Dubey and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The joint petition by artists in 12 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Assamese, Telugu, Punjabi, Konkani,Urdu and Gujarati, urged voters to remember how the BJP had given a free rein to Hindutva goons since it came to power at the Centre five years ago.

It said, “The coming elections are without doubt the most critical in the history of independent India. A democracy must empower its weakest, its most marginalised. A democracy cannot function without questioning, debate, and a vibrant opposition. All this is being concertedly eroded by the current government. The BJP, which came to power five years ago with the promise of development, has given free rein to Hindutva goons to indulge in the politics of hate and violence. The man who was portrayed as the saviour of the nation five years ago has destroyed the livelihoods of millions through his policies. He promised to bring back black money; instead, rogues have looted the country and run away. The wealth of the rich has grown astronomically, while the poor have become even poorer.”

The petition said that today the ‘very idea of India is under threat’ under a BJP government. “Today, song, dance, laughter is under threat. Today, our beloved Constitution is under threat. The institutions that have to nurture argument, debate and dissent have been suffocated. To question, to call out lies, to speak the truth, is branded ‘anti-national’. The seeds of hatred have entered our food, prayers and festivals,” it added.

It said that the ‘ways in which this hatred has seeped into our daily fabric are alarming and it has to STOP.’

The petition concluded, “Our appeal – vote bigotry, hatred, and apathy out of power. Vote against the BJP and its allies. Vote to empower the weakest, protect liberty, protect the environment, and foster scientific thinking. Vote for secular democratic, inclusive India. Vote for the freedom to dream. Vote wisely.”

Earlier, hundreds of independent filmmakers and noted authors had issued a similar appeal urging voters to defeat the BJP for its hate agenda.