A theatre group in West Bengal, known for productions on socio-economic themes, has dropped an artist from one of its plays after the actor joined the BJP.

The play being enacted is Saurav Palodhi's Ghum Nei. An adaptation of the Utpal Dutt classic, it is on the present political situation of the country, seen through the prism of Left ideology.

Palodhi had posted on his official Facebook account that the actor, Kaushik Kar, was removed from the production for joining the saffron party.

Kar, had been invited by Palodhi's group "Ichcheymoto" in 2019, to play a character whose name had a reference to the man who was lynched at Dadri in 2015 on suspicion of eating beef.

Palodhi, known to be a Leftist, posted on Facebook three days back in Bengali, "We are removing Kaushik Kar from Ghum Nei with immediate effect because he has joined the BJP. And that is enough reason to remove him in the present times. There can be no place for communal elements in a play for the working class".

The theatre group, he added, would soon announce the date for the next show of Ghum Nei.

The post triggered a storm in social media with netizens like Arka Roy saying, "Is it the example of artistic freedom? Democratic right? Can an artist be judged by his Leftist or Rightist leanings? ......It should be left to the person concerned which political party he or she should join. None has the right to interfere."

Director Kamaleswar Mukherjee said, "As far as I am concerned, my casting had never been influenced by anyone's political belief or colour."

Palodhi said he stood by his decision "as the play is fundamentally against the BJP's ideology and someone associated with that party cannot be a part of Ghum Nei.

"Associating Koushik Kar with the production, despite being aware of his current political identity, will be a grave injustice to the spirit of the play and the working class for whom it is meant," he said.

Describing the entire episode as a manifestation of "Left-wing Fascism", Kar said, "Only armchair elites, who give lectures on communism with no connect with the masses and are ignorant about the history of progressive cultural movement. can take such a decision.

"I am shocked at the unilateral decision."