Letter to BS: Jayant Sinha garlanding lynching convicts is indefensible

This refers to your editorial ‘Garlanding bigotry’ (July 10). Every time a politician is released on bail in a corruption or criminal case, his/her supporters celebrate the event by garlanding their leader, bursting crackers and even firing from guns. Though wrong, such actions may be explained away as those of emotional and over-enthusiastic supporters of the leader concerned. 

But the action of union minister Jayant Sinha garlanding the convicts released on bail in a lynching case is totally indefensible. The minister’s gesture sends out wrong signals to the public and may embolden the fringe elements into taking the law into their own hands. Article 19(2) of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all Indian citizens, but the same is subject to several restrictions, including "defamation and incitement to offences".

V Jayaraman, Chennai

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