Now, 61 celebs write to PM on 'selective outrage'

Mumbai: Three days after a group of eminent citizens wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the lynching of minorities and hate crimes, 61 high profile personalities from various fields on Friday responded with a counter statement against "selective outrage and false narratives".

The July 23 letter by 49 "self-styled guardians and conscience keepers" expressed selective concerns and demonstrated "clear political bias and motive", said the statement signed by actor Kangana Ranaut, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, dancer Sonal Mansingh and filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar and Vivek Agnihotri and others.

"It (the July 23 letter) is aimed at tarnishing India's international standing and to negatively portray the prime minister's untiring efforts to effectuate governance on the foundations of positive nationalism and humanism which is the core of Indianess," the statement read.

The document of selective outrage, it said, comes across as an "attempt to foist a false narrative to denigrate the democratic ethos and norms of our collective functioning as a nation and people".