Mani Ratnam denies signing any letter to PM on mob lynchings
Mumbai, Jul 28 (IBNS): Eminent filmmaker Mani Ratnam has denied signing in the letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 49 signatures by notable intellectuals from industry and other fields raising concern over the "rising intolerance" in the country, media reports said.
Mani Ratnam’s team has denied him signing any letter or receiving any such letter, said reports.
The team further noted that the director was busy with pre-promotion of his upcoming film.
On 24 July, several prominent personalities including filmmaker Aparna Sen, Anurag Kashyap, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal and historian Ramachandra Guha had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern about the recent increase in mob lynching incidents.
What is the letter about?
The letter read, "...'Jai Shree Ram' has become a provocative "war-cry" today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynching take place in its name. It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion!"
Citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports, which states no less than 840 incidents of atrocities took place only in 2016, the intellectuals had said, "The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and minorities must be stopped immediately."
The letter had also highlighted the report claiming 254 religious identity-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009 and October 29, 2018.
"About 90% of these attacks were reported after May 2014, when your government assumed power nationally," the letter read.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi few days ago had condemned the incidents of mob-lynching in the parliament, the intellectuals felt that was not "enough".
"You have criticised such lynching in Parliament Mr. Prime Minister, but that is not enough! What action has actually been taken against the perpetrators? We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable, and the exemplary punishment should be meted out swiftly and surely. If life imprisonment without parole can be the sentence in cases of murder, why not for lynchings, which are even more heinous?" the letter read.
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