After stirring a row by felicitating and garlanding men convicted in Jharkhand lynching case, Union Minister Jayant Sinha on Saturday issued a number of tweets about the incident. Sinha said that he was merely "honouring due process of law". He also said that he "unequivocally condemn(s) all acts of violence and reject(s) any type of vigilantism"
Eleven people, including a BJP worker were convicted by a Jharkhand Fast Track court on March 16 in the Alimuddin lynching case. Alimuddin Ansari was lynched to death in Ramgarh on June 29 last year on the suspicion that he was carrying beef. However, last week, Jharkhand High Court suspended the life sentence of eight persons, including the BJP functionary, and they were granted bail by the court on Thursday .
After walking out of the Jai Prakash Narain Central Jail, the released men headed straight to the residence of Sinha, where the minister garlanded them. The convicts were led by local BJP leader Amardeep Yadav, who is also the OBC Morcha president of the party, reported News18.
Sinha was vehemntly criticized by political adversaries and people on social media, after the pictures had started to circulate on the internet.
Leader of Opposition, Jharkhand , Hemant Soren, tweeted, terming Sinha's act as "despicable" for "felicitating the accused" in lynchings
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of CPI(M), also attacked Sinha on twitter, accusing him of patronising the lynching convicts.
On the other hand Alimuddin's wife, Maryam Khatun, said she will move the Supreme Court against the bail order.
Jayant Sinha is the son of Yashwant Sinha, who was a former Finance and External Affairs minister in Vajpayee led NDA I.
Currently, the elder Sinha has turned into a vehement critic of the Modi regime accusing it of putting "democracy in danger" and "undermining democratic institutions". In January, he had launched Rashtra Manch to take on the Centre. He quit the BJP in April.
