Tripura governor Tathagata Roy says targeting PM over Kathua, Unnao rapes is 'vilification campaign' ahead of polls

Kolkata: Terming the Unnao and Kathua rape incidents as "despicable, regrettable and condemnable", Tripura governor Tathagata Roy on Friday said targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the two cases was a "concerted slur" and he cannot be held responsible for such incidents.

"What has the prime minister got to do with the rape cases that took place in Kathua and Unnao? Law and order is a state subject. What extent can the prime minister be responsible?

"In my personal view, there is a cabal consisting of ISI, a number of Lutyens Delhi journalists and the so-called secular group, who have joined to lay the blame for these rape and murders at the door of the prime minister. Is this the first rape-murder case that is taking place in the country? It is a concerted slur and vilification campaign with the elections not very far away," Roy said.

"The incidents of Unnao and Kathua are despicable, regrettable and condemnable. Having said this, can you tell me, how this government or any government could have prevented them (two incidents)?

"Whoever has justified the accused is equally condemnable," he said.

Noting an accused is not guilty but has to be proved guilty in a trial court, Roy said that if there is prima facie proof of guilt, whoever supports the accused that is as condemnable.

According to him, politicisation of these two incidents has been "done by the so-called Opposition".

"I condemn the incidents of Unnao, Kathua and Surat. With equal verve, one should also condemn slaughter of 3,000 Sikhs. Why are they politicising the Unnao case?" Roy said.

When a journalist pointed out that the Unnao incident has taken place when the BJP is running Uttar Pradesh government, Roy said "In Tripura, a BJP ruled state, there was an incident of rape of a minor girl in Dharmanagar and five Muslim boys were accused. Who is talking about that? It does not matter who is ruling."