Tripura Governor faces flak over Yakub Memon tweets

Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy on Friday faced flak after he stirred a hornets’ nest with his controversial tweet over Yakub Memon hanging. A former BJP leader, Roy stoked a controversy saying intelligence agencies should keep a tab on all people, except relatives and friends of Yakub Memon, who assembled for the last rites of the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict in Mumbai on Friday as many of them could be “potential terrorists.”   

“Intelligence should keep a tab on all (except relatives and friends) who assembled before Memon’s corpse. Many are potential terrorists,” Roy tweeted.  The governor, who faced criticism for his remarks, also tweeted, “It is my constitutional duty to bring matter of public interests to public notice. My position as governor is not thereby compromised.” Criticising Roy, former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he occupies a constitutional post and his comments were not in line with the Constitution. “He should not have resorted to Twitter if he wants to give any advice to the government. He could have told the chief minister (of the state) or he could have sent a message to him,” said Chatterjee. Senior Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Subrata Mukherjee said Roy should remember that he is occupying a constitutional position.   

“He should be immediately dropped without any further delay. I am saying this as a citizen of the country,” said Mukherjee. Later, Roy said that he had excluded Memon’s relatives and friends. “Why did others come to see a man who was hanged. They must have sympathy for him,” adding, “When I suggested intelligence keeping a tab, I mentioned no community.”