Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy | Photo Credit: PTI

Shillong, Meghalaya: In an extremely shocking and insensitive statement (also factually wrong), Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy on the 10th anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai attacks and said many people were killed "except Muslims". Roy invoked the killings of "innocents (except Muslims) at Mumbai" and asked why India didn't downgrade its relationship with Pakistan.

Speaking to Times Now, the BJP leader initially remained defiant and refused to take his statement back and instead asked for the names and locations of the Muslims that were killed.

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"10th anniversary today of the Paki-sponsored slaughter of innocents (except Muslims) at Mumbai, popularly called 26/11. Does anyone remember why we didn’t even downgrade our diplomatic relations with the Pakis (let alone break off such relations or go to war)?" he said in a statement on Twitter.

"I don't give a damn about anybody's opinion if it is sensitive or insensitive, tell me the names of the Muslims and location where they were killed during the attacks," he told Times Now.

However, after a massive backlash, he retracted from his earlier statement and said the "colour of blood of those killed in the attack is same".

I was misinformed of the Paki-sponsored killers of 26/11 having spared Muslims. In fact several Muslims were killed. It was a mistake of facts and I am sorry for the same. The relevant tweet has been deleted — Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) November 26, 2018

"I was misinformed of the Paki-sponsored killers of 26/11 having spared Muslims. In fact several Muslims were killed. It was a mistake of facts and I am sorry for the same. The relevant tweet has been deleted," he later tweeted.

Over 44 Muslims were killed and 35 were injured in the attacks that claimed the lives of 166 people.