In response to the letter written by 49 celebrities to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming 'intolerance' in the country under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a group of celebrities and socialities have come forward in support of the government and written a letter against selective outrage and false narratives. The signatories of the two-page document include celebrities across all professions in the likes of Bollywood, theatre, professors, and artists. 

READ: 'Intolerance' Lobby Back: Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen & 47 Others Write To PM Modi; Claim 'Jai Shri Ram Now A Provocative War-cry'

Addressing the prior 'intolerance' letter written to the Prime Minister, the counter document addressed the Forty-nine celebrities as self-styled “guardians” and “conscience keepers” of the nation with selective concern and claimed that they have demonstrated clear political bias and motive.

"The signatories to the “open letter” have, in the past, kept silent when tribals have become victims of Naxal terror, and when separatists have issued dictates to burn schools in Kashmir, including when the demand for dismembering India, for making pieces of her -Tukde Tukde – were made, they kept silent when slogans chanted by terrorists", read an excerpt from the letter. 

Listing twelve flashpoints that the former letter's signatories have strangely kept quiet on, the 2-page document also states that the 'intolerance' lobby did not display the courage to stand beside women who are struggling against the regressive Triple Talaq tradition and that they choose to speak up only on 'selective issues'.

Citing when the "conscience keepers" have stayed mum on social issues, the letter further reads, "When those who chant Jai Shree Ram were imprisoned, were called criminals and were being killed and maimed and when complaints of being forced to chant Jai Shree Ram were being repeatedly exposed as being false and concocted, the celebrities stayed silent". In the letter, 10 other instances of similar nature are mentioned. 

Read the full letter here:

The letter has been signed by celebrities including Kangana Ranaut, Madhur Bhandarkar, Prasoon Joshi, Vivek Agnihotri, among others. 

READ: Swara Bhasker & Nusrat Jahan back 49-celebrities 'intolerance' letter to PM Modi, call lynchings 'epidemic'

Lobby's letter to PM Modi

For the uninitiated, 49 celebrities wrote a letter to PM Modi on July 23 raising "concern" over 'Jai Shri Ram' chants claiming there it has become a "war cry".

Read the letter here:

Arnab confronts lobby, exposes their hypocrisy

On Wednesday, Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami confronted the lobby-led by Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen who was leading the press briefing on behalf of the other signatories. On being questioned by Republic TV on an array of issues, they selectively chose not to speak up, showing their hypocrisy on similar issues. They heard the questions, however, were unwilling to respond to queries regarding the selective nature of the incidents being highlighted in the letter.