Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati condemned the gruesome murder of senior journalist Gauri lankesh in Bengaluru and demanded a probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in this regard.
“The pattern of the murder hints at conspiracy and hence the Centre should order a NIA probe to nab the culprits. Similarly, the NIA should also be entrusted with probing the killing of eminent literateurs like Dobhalkar, Covind Pansare and MM Kalburgi,” she said.
In a statement released in lucknow on Thursday, Mayawati said that the Centre should be serious on such matters and instead of condemning it, serious efforts should be made to bring the culprits to book.
“lack of action against gau-rakshaks, love-jihad, anti-Romeo, ghar vapsi activists by the government has created apprehension among the masses which is of great concern,” she added.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee also condemned the killing of the journalist and demanded an enquiry by Special Investigation Team (SIT) under direct supervision of a senior judge of the Supreme Court.
“The country is noticing a fatal pattern behind killings of scribes similar to that related to murders in cases of cow protection, love- jihad, anti-Romeo etc,” asserted UP Congress Media Committee spokesman Sanjay Vajpayee. He said that some subversive forces were striking at will to create hatred among different sects of the society and the government was sitting idle. He said that an SIT should be immediately formed under a sitting Supreme Court judge so that culprits could be brought to book.
The lok Gathbandhan Party (lGP) also expressed concern over the brutal murder of Gauri lankesh in Bengaluru and said that it was in fact an assault on the freedom of press in the country.
lGP national secretary Raghvendra Shukla said that lankesh was a fearless journalist who carried out her professional responsibility with fairness, impartiality and courage.
Condemning the murder, he said that an atmosphere of intolerance had been prevailing in the country for the last few years which had adversely affected the freedom of press.
“With such violent moves, efforts are being made to silence the people who are trying to protect democracy and long peaceful traditions in the country,” he said.
Demanding a probe to unearth the murder conspiracy, Shukla said that silencing of a courageous journalist in that manner was dangerous for the survival of democracy.