Following the extrajudicial deaths of the four people accused in the Hyderabad rape-murder case, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had said that unless the circumstances necessitated it, "extra-judicial killings are otherwise unacceptable in a society of laws".
Tharoor opined that while everyone remains on the topic of punitive action, condemnation and "asking for blood" wasn't the job of the Parliament.
Even as many other political leaders rushed to praise the Hyderabad police, the Congress leader had remained reticent.
While he said that he "agreed in principle", Tharoor emphasised the need for more information before rushing to condemn.
"Agree in principle. We need to know more, for instance if the criminals were armed, the police may have been justified in opening fire preemptively. Until details emerge we should not rush to condemn. But extra-judicial killings are otherwise unacceptable in a society of laws," he had earlier tweeted.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Tharoor explained further.
"Everyone has been clamouring for justice for the victim of the horrible, heinous crime, but at the same time, justice should come through a judicial process. We don’t know the full details," he reportedly said in an interview, adding that the "the law of the jungle" cannot be practiced in law enforcement.
Tharoor said that not even the toughest of laws has been able to prevent such incidents and that the need of the hour was to create a "policy of prevention".
For the uninitiated, following the news, countless people celebrated the encounter deaths, with even political leaders and law makers making their approval clear.
To cite a few highlights, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan said, "Der aaye, durust aaye...der aaye, bohot der aaye..(Better late than never)."
BJP spokesperson and treasurer of the BJP in Maharashtra, Shaina NC saluted the police for "acting swiftly against the culprits", while Member of Parliament, Rajyavardhan Rathore took to Twitter to "congratulate the Hyderabad Police".
BJP lawmaker Meenakshi Lekhi said that the accused got what they deserved and BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati commended Telangana Police and said police in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi can take inspiration from them.
BJP lawmaker Locket Chatterjee hailed the move as being "a very good step taken for our country" while RJD leader and former chief minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, said that the Telangana incident would surely "act as a deterrent against criminals".
