Soumitra Chatterjee urges citizenship law agitators not to resort to violence

Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee on Monday appealed to people t to resort to violence while protesting amended citizenship law.

His appeal comes amid pitched protests against amended Citizenship Act in several districts of West Bengal, during which agitators set fire to railway properties and torched buses on national highways. Da Saheb Phalke Award recipient told PTI that though he does t understand much about politics, it is pertinent to ask why so many people are protesting Act vehemently.

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"What I gar (from news reports) is that this Act will oppress a large section of people of this country," he said on sidelines of promotion of a Bengali film in which he is protagonist. On violent protests across state, he said, "When people get angry, y do many things. Causing people to get enrd could have been avoided. I urge agitators t to resort to violence while protesting Act. Orwise, we do t kw where situation could le to."

Filmmaker Aparna Sen and several or Bengali intellectuals h earlier said vandalising public property was t right way to protest.

"A movement at times takes extreme proportions when people get carried away, but this is t right way to protest, Sen h said on Saturday.

filmmaker h said people should t set fire to public properties of state to protest a decision taken by Centre. A group of intellectuals, considered close to ruling Trinamool Congress, h also urged agitators t to resort to violence while protesting National Register of

Citizens (NRC) and amended Citizenship Act. Painter Subhaprasanna, poets Joy Goswami and Subodh Sarkar, Indologist Nrisingha Pras Bhuri h urged people to protest democratically.

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