India's culture goes beyond intolerance to acceptance: PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Amid the raging intolerance debate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that Indian culture goes beyond tolerance and talks of acceptance.

He said this when a delegation of 51 artistes and writers led by veteran actor Anupam Kher met him and expressed concern over protests by a section of the people while describing them as one with a "political agenda".

"The Prime Minister stated that Indian culture goes beyond tolerance, and talks of acceptance," a PMO statement said after the meeting.

The delegation of artistes earlier in the day submitted a memorandum to the President, after they marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to counter the protests by writers, artistes and others against alleged "rising intolerance", which they felt projected India in bad light.

The Kher-led delegation described the protests by writers and others after return of their awards as a bid to "tarnish" the image of the country and derail the development initiatives of the Prime Minister.