H'bad encounter triggers tsunami of reactions

The 'encounter' killing of the four accused in the gangrape-and-murder of a Hyderabad veterinarian on Friday triggered a tsunami of reactions across the spectrum -- ranging from appreciation to condemnation.

While main political parties --the BJP and the Congress--reacted cautiously in their official position and left their leaders to voice their views, civil groups were straightforward in their disapproval of the killings, asserting that the police cannot act like a lynch mob under any circumstances.

Political leaders spoke in differing voices with Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, who had recently advocated lynching of rapists in Parliament, asserting that the killing of the four men was "long due", a view which was supported by BSP president Mayawati, who praised the police for its strong action against the accused.

BJP leaders such as Meenakshi Lekhi and Rajyavardhan Rathore also hailed the police action.

"I congratulate the Hyderabad police and the leadership that allows the police to act like police. Let all know this is the country where good will always prevail over evil. (Disclaimer for holier than thou-police acted swiftly in self defence)," Rathore tweeted.

Lekhi also appeared to approve the encounter as she said in the Lok Sabha that arms are not meant to be a showpiece for police.

However, the police action was condemned in equally strong terms by many political leaders, including BJP's Maneka Gandhi, who slammed the police action as "horrifying", and Congress' Shashi Tharoor expressing concern over what he dubbed as "extrajudicial killings" but added that people should not rush to condemn the encounter until details emerge.

The Left parties also took a strong stand against the police action with CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury asserting that extra-judicial killings cannot be the answer to the serious concerns over the safety of women. The CPI's D Raja said no one can justify encounters in the name of speedy justice.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram reacted cautiously with the former finance minister saying that the incident should be thoroughly enquired into to find out if it was a genuine encounter.

While Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury noted that a magisterial inquiry is already on and his party will wait for its outcome, his party colleague and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi virtually endorsed the police action, saying the mood of the country sometimes takes "precedence over human rights logic".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is the anger in people against such incidents that is making them happy about the encounter killings.

The AAP leader, however, struck a note of caution, saying, "It is also something to be worried about, the way people have lost their faith in the criminal justice system. Together all the governments will have to take action on how to strengthen criminal justice system."
Asking people to say "no to trigger track injustice", she said, "... so all that the state will do in the name of ensuring that women live as equal and free citizens is to add to its arsenal of unlimited, arbitrary violence."