Deeply disturbed, say celebrities in letter on citizenship law unrest

Celebrities including Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Sen have expressed their pain on CAA unrest in a letter.

Filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Sen today said there should be an independent judicial probe into the violence against CAA protesters in UP

They also re-inforced that they don't support any form of vandalism.

A letter -- signed by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Aparna Sen and Alankrita Shrivastava,

..and actors Kubbra Sait, Mallika Dua, Konkona Sen-Sharma, Zeeshan Ayyub and Swara Bhasker --

...urged Indian courts "to take suo motu cognizance of what has ensued in UP and request that a judicial inquiry..

be instituted into the loss of life and limb and damage to property".

The appeal to courts was read out at a press conference in New Delhi by Swara Bhasker and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

Stating that they "do not endorse or support any form of violence or vandalism",

the "sacred right" of citizens to protest peacefully had been violated in the state.

"The CAA itself, as a legislation, has sparked contrasting views. But irrespective of one's views on the merits of the law,

…there is something more fundamental that all of us agree on: the right of citizens to protest peacefully."

Signatories believe that all these principles have been undermined in Uttar Pradesh, largely because of the excesses of the government.

"The fundamental rights to life and liberty, free speech, free movement, and association are also under great jeopardy in the state," the letter read.

The signatories said they were "deeply disturbed" by the scale of deaths in the state, reportedly due to police firing

…and the excessive use of force, which, they believe, is largely targeted at one community.

Media reports refer to 18 deaths in UP, mostly due to bullet injuries. There is reason to believe that the procedure was not followed,"

The letter stated, adding that the administration was not following prescribed standard operating procedures while dealing with protests.

The letter also criticised the political leadership and UP CM for issuing "inflammatory statements and using rhetoric that goes beyond the law."