The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over growing communal incidents encourages violent and intolerant elements in the country.
The AAP said writers returning Sahitya Akademi awards was 'no joke', adding that they were standing up for a just cause.
"Writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards are no joke, these writers are giving up recognition to stand up for what is right," the AAP tweeted.
"Modi ji silence is encouraging violent and intolerant forces due to which India image is getting spoiled," the AAP said in another tweet.
The AAP also accused Prime Minister Modi for making fun of the word 'secularism' during his trips abroad.
"Modi ji is not only quiet on these issues but is also making fun of the word 'secularism' on foreign soil," the AAP tweeted.
The Sahitya Akademi will hold an emergency meeting on October 23 to discuss the alarming exodus of literary icons from the fraternity with writers returning their awards.
Till now, 15 writers have returned their awards to the Akademi since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month over the killing of Kannada scholar M.M. Kalburgi.
In another blow to the Akademi, Kannada writer Aravind Malagatt resigned from the fraternity on Sunday.
Earlier, eminent writer Nayantara Sahgal and former Lalit Kala Akademi chairperson Ashok Vajpeyi had returned their Sahitya Akademi awards to protest the 'growing intolerance' in the country.
