Naga Babu, despite being the brother of Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister, doesn't seem to understand the importance of maintaining dignified silence on sensitive issues. On Thursday, he tried to be over-smart by quoting a thinker. "No person can be considered guilty of a crime until he or she has been found guilty of that crime by a court of law," Naga Babu quoted Sir William Garrow as saying.
The social media post, no prizes for guessing, has to be seen in the context of Jani Master facing sexual harassment allegations. Jani Master is a Pawan Kalyan supporter and is also probably dear to Naga Babu.
In principle, nobody should be pronounced guilty until the court of law convicts him or her. That said, the accusations levelled against Jani Master are serious. That's why he has been arrested after his victim's statement was recorded by no less an authority than the Telangana State Women's Commission. Even his wife has been questioned by the Narsingi police. Jani Master allegedly evaded arrest for a few days before being caught by the police.
At a time like this, it is unbecoming of Naga Babu to take to social media to pontificate others. Netizens are calling him a "rape apologist", a label he could have avoided had he been mature.
Perhaps, Pawan Kalyan must issue an informal gag order, asking his party members not to defend Jani Master.
