Opposition decries garlanding of convicts in Ramgarh lynching case

Opposition parties today targeted the Centre over garlanding of eight convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case by Union minister Jayant Sinha after they were released on bail, saying it has brought out the "real agenda" of the ruling BJP.

Sinha has stoked a controversy by felicitating the convicts, with opposition terming it a "despicable" and "unfortunate" act.

The minister later said it was unfortunate that irresponsible statements are being made about his action while all that he was doing was honouring the due process of law and that innocents be spared and guilty be appropriately punished.

Meat trader Alimuddin Ansari was beaten to death on June 29 last year by a mob at the Bazaar Tand area under Ramgarh police station on the suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car.

Expressing happiness over their release from jail after being granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court recently, Sinha garlanded them and offered them sweets.

The minister of state for civil aviation also advised them to "have faith in the judiciary", saying the courts will do justice.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said when BJP ministers are garlanding and supporting criminals, what more proof is required about the agenda of the BJP, which is no longer hidden.

"Does the PM have an answer to why BJP leaders are garlanding, meeting, supporting criminals, involved in mob lynchings, communal rioting? What more proof is required about BJP's agenda, which is not even hidden now," he said.

CPI-M leader Brinda Karata said it shows that the ruling dispensation is not interested in giving any kind of justice to the victims of lynchings.

"Now if a union minister gets photographed with them in his house and starts garlanding them, then it is very clear that the ruling regime in the country are not interested at all in giving justice to the lynched victims," she said.

The RJD also put out a picture of the minister with the accused after their garlanding on its official Twitter handle and said in Hindi that "After killing somebody by beating, the government will honour you...."