NEW DELHI, April 30 (TNS): Within hours of getting sworn in as the deputy chief minister of occupied Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta sparked a controversy after he called the incident of rape of an eight-year-old girl Asifa in Jammu’s Kathua a “small incident”, Indian media reported on Monday.
Speaking to the media, Gupta said that the Kathua rape is a small incident and it should not be given too much importance.
“It (Kathua rape and murder) was a small thing. We have to be careful in the future that such incidents are not repeated,” Gupta told reporters here.
He was replying to questions on whether the ruling coalition was under pressure in the Kathua rape and murder case.
“Such challenges are faced by the government. It shouldn’t have been given all this hype,” Gupta said.
The matter was deliberately hyped, Gupta added. The case is in court, which will decide on it, he said.
Facing backlash, Gupta later accused the media of misinterpreting his statement and said that attempts are being made to intentionally incite the matter.
