Violence on anti-CAA protest: Swara Bhaskar, Zeeshan Ayyub demand judicial probe

Demanding an immediate judicial inquiry into the violence against the anti CAA protestors, actors Swara Bhaskar and Zeeshan Ayyub held a press conference at New Delhi.

Mumbai: Actors Swara Bhaskar and Zeeshan Ayyub on Thursday raised their voices demanding a judicial probe into the police crackdown on the anti CAA protestors in Uttar Pradesh.

In a press conference held at the Press Club of India, Swara and Zeeshan jointly read out an appeal that sought legal actions upon the matter.

Extending support to Swara and Zeeshan, the appeal was jointly signed by filmmakers including Anurag Kashyap, Vikram Aditya Motwani and Aparna Sen, and actors including Konkona Sen Sharma, Mallika Dua and Kubbra Sait.

Standing against vandalism, a host of industry insiders declared it categorically that they "do not endorse or support any form of violence," or any "damage to public property."

The group of filmmakers and actors have urged the court to take "suo moto cognizance" of what has ensued in UP and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.

The letter also criticised UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his political leadership for issuing "inflammatory statements and using rhetoric that goes beyond the law, which has given way for the police to unleash excessive force on citizens and deliberately damage citizen property in a selective manner."

Condemning the violence, they also said that legal action should be taken also against those protesters who indulge in violence.

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Disturbed over the incident, Swara said: "The attitude of the police in Uttar Pradesh has been with the people there. This is a terrible situation. His actions are reprehensible."

"The way they enter people's homes, they are killing people. Like they are attacking the unarmed on the streets. They are working as rioters with communal spirit," she said.

Responding to a question on why Bollywood bigwigs remained silent on the protests, Ayyub said that the query itself belittled the lakhs of people who are on the roads and protesting.

"Bollywood is not important. There are bigger questions in front of the country. It's not about who is speaking and not speaking but what is being said and how it should be resolved," he concluded.