Union Minister Jayant Sinha triggered a political storm as he welcomed and felicitated eight men convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand after they were released on bail on Thursday, 5 July.
After release, the convicts walked out of the Jai Prakash Narain Central Jail and went to the Hazaribagh residence of Jayant Sinha, the minister of state for civil aviation.
As the Opposition slammed Sinha for this move, he defended himself by saying that he was “honouring the law”.
Speaking to ANI, Sinha also said, “I have already clarified my stand. The accused should be punished. I am a public representative and a minister, I have taken an oath to protect the law. No has the right to take law in their hands.”
Event to Honour Lynching Convicts
According to India Today, there was an event organised where the union minister felicitated these eight convicts.
At the event, BJP MLA Shankar Choudhary said advocate BB Tripathi, the counsel for the eight men “was like god and helped them get bails,” the India Today report added.
While Choudhary said the BJP will soon organise a celebratory procession in Ramgarh, Maryam Khatun, late Alimuddin’s wife, said she will move the Supreme Court against the bail order, reported India Today.
Opposition’ Lashes Out at the “Harvard Alumnus”
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday, 8 July, took to Twitter to slam Sinha over his actions, calling him a “lynch pujari”.
BJP leaders, be it Giriraj Singh or Jayant Sinha, should go with garlands to all riots accused. There’s certain mindset behind them going to accused out on bail, with motive to divide society. PM doesn’t talk on government’s promises and his ministers go to accused with garlands.Kapil Sibal to ANI
Infuriated at the union minister, Jharkhand's Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren called the incident “truly despicable” and tagged Harvard University of the US, the minister's alma mater.
Accusing the BJP of inciting communal tensions, Ajoy Kumar of the Congress was shocked that Sinha who is “among most educated minister in PM Modi's cabinet,” is "openly" supporting convicts, News18 reported.
Any kind of support to such elements is deplorable. This is the true colour of BJP. They just want to win election and for that their leaders can cross any limit.Ajoy Kumar, Congress Lok Sabha MP told News18.
‘Unbelievably Shameless,’ Says Congress
Calling the incident “unbelievably shameful,” Congress’ youth wing called out the BJP representative at a time when 27 people have fallen prey to mob lynching across the country.
On 16 March, the court held 11 out of the 12 guilty in what is reported to be the first conviction in a case relating to violence perpetrated in the name of cow protection in the country.
Reportedly, this is not the first time that Sinha has extended his support to the convicts in the case. After the eleven were convicted, Sinha questioned the facets of the case and insisted on a CBI inquiry, the NDTV report added.
"I firmly believe that complete justice has not been done," NDTV reported, quoting the BJP's Lok Sabha member from Hazaribagh.
The Incident in Question
A total of 12 people were accused in the Ramgarh lynching case. A fast-track court in Jharkhand, on 21 March, sentenced 11 ‘gau rakshaks’ to life imprisonment for the murder of meat trader Alimuddin in Ramgarh on 29 June 2017.
In June 2017, Alimuddin was lynched and his vehicle was set ablaze by a mob at Bazartand village near Ranchi. BJP district media in-charge Nityanand Mahto was among the 11 convicted persons.
However, the Jharkhand High Court, on Thursday, suspended the life sentence handed over to the eight men, including the BJP functionary, News18 reported.
(With inputs from news agencies, India Today and News18)
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