Fifteen public figures, including actor Prakash Raj, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, have received a death threat in a letter that labelled them “traitors”, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
The unsigned letter was addressed to Lingayat religious leader Nijagunananda Swamy, and accused him and his supporters of betraying “their own religion”. People mentioned in the letter were asked to “be prepared for their final journey on January 29, 2020”. The others mentioned are former Bajrang Dal leader Mahindra Kumar, religious leader Nidumamidi Swami, Jayaprakasha Swami, actor Chetan Kumar, former minister and activist BT Lalitha Nayak, academic Mahesh Chandra Guru, writer KS Bhagwan, poet Chandrashekhar Patil, and journalists Dinesh Amin Mattu and Agni Sridhar.
Kumaraswamy claimed there was a conspiracy to kill him “for fighting for the peace of the society”. “I will not stay quiet because of such threats,” PTI quoted him as saying. “I know who is behind it. Those belonging to BJP-linked organisations speak about terror activities of other community, while there are terrorists within. Very carefully they conduct their activities.” State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai told ANI that the former chief minister would be provided additional security and an investigation would be carried out.
Raj tweeted a photograph of the letter with the hashtag “Hum Dekhenge”, and said it was sent by “a coward group”. Hum Dekhenge is a poem by iconic Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz that has become an anthem of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Brinda Karat said people behind the letter were “cowards” and added it would not deter her, PTI reported.
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