Actress Swara Bhaskar has described as "disgusting, shocking, horrifying and worrying for the rule of law" Union minister Jayant Sinha's honouring of lynching convicts, prompting him to retort whether she had any understanding of the legal process.
Referring to Harvard educated junior aviation minister Sinha's challenge to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to face him in a debate, Swara tweeted on Thursday: "To quote Rahul Gandhi it is 'disgusting' that u garlanded lynching convicts. It is disgusting for any citizen to do that. For a sitting minister to do so is disgusting, shocking, horrifying and v v worrying for 'rule of law' in this country."
Earlier too Swara had criticised Sinha for garlanding the lynching convicts on June 29 in his constituency - Ramgarh in Jharkhand.
The minister responded on Thursday. "Swara Bhaskar ji have you studied the case facts? Do you understand how Section 304 should be applied? The case is on appeal and sub judice. Given the Hon'ble High Court's observations what gives you the right to judge these people? Please respect the due process of law."
Swara shot back by saying that garlanding lynching convicts showed "gross and dangerous disregard" for the law.
"Whatever the technicality of bail applications etc with fast track court, for a minister 2 garland convicts of an inhuman heinous crime like lynching, contrary 2 seeming like 'respecting the due process of law', it suggests a gross & dangerous disregard 4 the law of the land..."
Swara pointed to Sinha's "elite education" at Harvard University and IIT and asked if "basic human empathy & good conscience had failed u while taking this decision".
She had tweeted : "Absolutely horrifying! The people who ought to ensure that 'rule of law' is maintained on their watch r garlanding those who have broken the law & been convicted for the same! Could the toxic hate politics of BJP get any more naked really???"
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