Opposition slams BJP leader for garlanding lynching convicts
New Delhi, July 7: The opposition parties on Saturday slammed Union Minister Jayant Sinha for allegedly honouring Ramgarh lynching convicts after they were released on bail even as the Minister defended his action, saying he had full faith in the judicial system.
Sinha had welcomed by hugging and garlanding the eight men convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand after they were released on bail on Thursday.
According to reports, the life sentences of the convicts were suspended by the High Court and after getting bail they headed to Sinha's residence, led by a local BJP leader.
Condemning Sinha's action, the Congress slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused it of fanning communal tension.
"It is only in 'New India', where those who are supposed to get the noose are instead being garlanded," the Congress said in a tweet.
"The Minister of the BJP-led Central government, which honours those accused of riots, is now garlanding convicts of lynching. Is Modi government encouraging social unstability," it added.
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also attacked the BJP for "tearing India's social fabric" and promoting politics of hate.
"We don't need to look far to see who or which ideology is tearing our social fabric apart: when union ministers patronise those convicted of lynching," he said in a tweet.
Swaraj India founder and renowned advocate Prashant Bhushan also slammed the Minister and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of patronising "lumpen thugs".
"Jayant Sinha hugs and garlands Ramgarh lynching convicts as they come out on bail. Obviously the junior minister is keen to remain in the good books of his bosses, Modi and Shah, who patronise these lumpen thugs," he said.
However, Sinha defended his actions and said he had full faith in India's judicial system and the rule of law. He said while he unequivocally condemned all acts of violence and rejected any type of vigilantism, he had misgivings about the Fast-Track Court judgment sentencing each accused to life imprisonment.
"The rule of law is supreme in India's constitutional democracy and any unlawful act, particularly those that violate the rights of any citizen, should be punished with the full force of the law.
"Unfortunately, irresponsible statements are being made about my actions when all that I am doing is honouring the due process of law. Those who are innocent will be spared and the guilty will be appropriately punished," he said in a series of tweets.
Sinha added: "I have repeatedly expressed my misgivings about the Fast-Track Court judgment sentencing each accused to life imprisonment. I am pleased that the High Court will hear the matter as a statutory court of appeal to test the correctness of the Fast-Track Court order.
"In the Ramgarh case, the Ranchi High Court, which is the first court of appeal, has suspended the sentence of the accused and released them on bail while admitting their case. The case will once again be re-heard."
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Confident we are going to win Kerala: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed confidence in the victory of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, saying the Congress-led alliance will win more than 75 seats out of the total 140 in the state.
Tharoor, who hails from Kerala, said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls, most of which predicted a victory for the UDF that has been out of power for 10 years in the state.
"We have been on the ground. I have campaigned in 59 constituencies across 12 districts out of 14. I was very confident we are going to win.
"Everything that I have picked up from not just my party colleagues and workers but also from other observers, media and others have always convinced me that we were going to score a comfortable win of above 75 seats. And all the (exit) polls have confirmed the same thing," he told reporters here.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls but in general he was not a big fan of exit polls in India.
"Because ours is not purely a homogenous society. We have to take into account gender issue, caste issue, class issue, regional disparities. You never get a convincingly large enough sample to give an accurate poll and now there is the additional complication that we have heard about in West Bengal this year that many people are unwilling to answer the questions of the pollsters," he said.
The Congress leader said normally, it used to be below 10 per cent that people said that they would not answer.
"Even if you are a reputable exit pollster, in Bengal, one polling company has said 60 per cent of people refused to answer. So, what is the worth of a poll where 60 per cent of your respondents have not answered," he said.
Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years, dethroning the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Polling for the 140-member Kerala assembly was held on April 9. Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, besides Kerala, will be announced on May 4.
