BJP questions Congress government in K'taka over Lankesh's murder

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the Congress government in Karnataka and demanded to know why the government in the state "failed to provide security" to the murdered scribe, who was said to have been involved in "mainstreaming naxalites".

BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to the comments made by Lankesh's brother, who reportedly said that his sister was working actively on the surrender of Naxalites.

Prasad said, "Was she doing it with the consent of the state government? Because some of the naxals have cases registered against them. And if she was, why was she not provided security by the government?"

Prasad also slammed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier blamed the RSS for Lankesh's killing, for "politicising the murder" of the slain scribe.

"Rahul Gandhi has questioned us and blamed us. I'd like to ask the Chief Minister of Karnataka that if he has already declared us guilty, what is left for their police to investigate?" he said

Prasad also spoke out against the "hypocrisy and double standards" of the liberals when a RSS worker is killed in Karnataka.

"Why do the liberals stay silent when a RSS worker is killed in Karnataka? Does an RSS swayamsevak not have the right to keep an ideology? The right of dissent is also being crushed. This hypocrisy needs to be exposed," he said.

Senior journalist Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 p.m.

As per the reports, three bullets were pumped in her body.

Her last rites were held at Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Cemetery earlier in the day.

Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid described as an "anti-establishment" publication.

An SIT comprising of 19 officers, headed by IGP Intelligence B.K. Singh, has been formed to probe into the murder.