Actor Soumitra Chatterjee urges anti-amended citizenship law

Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee on Monday appealed to people not to resort to violence while protesting the amended citizenship law.

His appeal comes amid pitched protests against the amended Citizenship Act in several districts of West Bengal, during which agitators set fire to railway properties and torched buses on national highways.

The Dada Saheb Phalke Award recipient told PTI that though he does not understand much about politics, it is pertinent to ask why so many people are protesting the Act vehemently.

"What I gather (from news reports) is that this Act will oppress a large section of the people of this country," he said on the sidelines of the promotion of a Bengali film in which he is the protagonist.

On the violent protests across the state, he said, "When people get angry, they do many things. Causing people to get enraged could have been avoided. I urge the agitators not to resort to violence while protesting the Act. Otherwise, we do not know where the situation could lead to."