Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), Jul 7 (PTI) Union minister Jayant Sinha has stoked a controversy as he felicitated eight convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case after they came out of prison on bail, with opposition today attacking him for the "despicable" act.

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 yesterday 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.

Sinha said he was very happy to see them as they belonged to his constituency and it was his duty to provide them justice.

The eight convicts thanked Sinha for helping them get a lawyer who took their case to the high court.

In his reaction, Leader of Opposition and JMM MLA Hemant Soren tweeted, "This is truly despicable."

Without mentioning any particular incident, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on twitter, "The politics of hatred and communal polarisation is irreparably damaging our social fabric."

He said, "The brutal lynchings across India that have sickened our nation, are the direct consequence of that kind of politics."

Sinha also came under attack by his father and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who said on Twitter, "Earlier I was the nalayak baap (unworthy father) of a layak beta (worthy son). Now the roles are reversed. This is twitter. I do not approve of my son's action. But I know even this will lead to further abuse. You can never win."

A fast-track court on March 21 sentenced the 11 convicts to life imprisonment.

Eight of the 11 convicts were granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 29. Two are still in the Hazaribag Central Jail while one juvenile is lodged in a correction home. Another secured bail on July 4. PTI COR BS SKC NN TIR SC

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