London, April 18: Facing flak over no formal statement issued so far on the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakarwal community girl in Jammu's Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said any rape incident across the nation should not be politicised.

"Rape is a horrific crime. Why is it being politicised? Incidents of rapes are a big cause of worry," PM Modi said without explicitly referring to the Kathua case. "Any incident of rape is a tragic one. There shouldn't be any political blame game on rapes," he added.

Modi said making India a secured nation for women is one of his utmost priority. "When I addressed the nation for the first time from the ramparts of Red Fort, I expressed anguish over the hardship faced by our women. Why they have to fear for their safety each evening after it gets dark?"

Earlier, Modi had on Friday referred to the Kathua rape incident during his address on Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, saying, "Our daughters will get justice". His detractors, however, called the response inadequate, demanding a formal statement to be issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

The eight-year-old in Kathua was gangraped and murdered in January. The case, however, grabbed attention earlier in the month after the Jammu Bar Association along with the local BJP leaders held protests accusing the J&K police of falsely implicating the "local Hindus".

Two BJP Ministers in the J&K government - Chaudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga - who participated in the pro-accused rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch had to resign from the Mehbooba Mufti government after pressure exerted by the alliance partner PDP.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition on the case, sent a notice to the Jammu Bar Association and the Bar Council of India seeking response to protest organised by Kathua lawyers in solidarity with those named by the J&K police in its charge sheet for the heinous crime.

The Kathua incident drew outrage across the nation, with demonstrations organised in several cities to protest the attempts of a section of ruling party elements to defend the accused. The protesters also marked dissent against the Prime Minister's prolonged silence on the crime.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2018 11:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).