Congress questions Modi's silence on Lankesh murder

The Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh's murder and slammed union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for trying to link her with Maoists.

"In the past three years of BJP government 10 journalists have been killed and 142 were attacked. This is shameful and condemnable that the country's Law Minister (Ravi Shankar Prasad) is trying to establish that Gauri Lankesh was a Naxalite supporter.

"There is a conspiracy to suppress the voice of the writers, journalists and activists. By passing a condemnable and controversial remark of linking Lankesh with Naxalites, he has shamed the whole country," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

"The people who are celebrating Lankesh's death on Twitter are being followed by PM Narendra Modi. However, BJP's head of Information and Technology Amit Malviya calls it his freedom of expression.

"Karnataka BJP MLA D.N. Jeevaraj made a statement that Lankesh would have been alive if she hadn't written against RSS, BJP. It is unfortunate that BJP leaders are giving her death a communal and political colour," added Surjewala.

"Does the union Law Minister agree with Karnata BJP MLA D.N. Jeevaraj's statement. On what grounds is the Law Minister making baseless remarks of Lankesh having links with the Naxals.

"Is it not true that Lankesh had been persistently writing against the divisive and hateful agenda of the BJP," Surjewala asked.

Ravi Shankar had earlier said: "Lankesh's brother has raised some questions. He said Lankesh had supported Naxalites and was trying to bring them to the mainstream. This is what agitated the Naxalites."

--IANS

sid/rn