Leading a march through the capital protesting against the writers and other intellectuals who had returned their awards, actor Anupam Kher on Saturday said their protests were an attempt to malign the image of the country and target the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. “Nobody has the right to call India intolerant,” said Kher. “We are secular people and don’t believe in selective outrage."

Other artistes and intellectuals who are involved in the “March for India” include filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, writer Narendra Kohli, and flautist Ronu Majumdar. They claimed they were sending a message to the President that India is tolerant. The march is a reaction to the decision of several filmmakers and writers to return their national and Sahitya Akademi awards as a form of protest against what they say is the rising intolerance and quelling of dissent in the country.