BENGALURU: BJP on Wednesday, demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. The saffron party leadership has hit out at All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Dinesh Gundu Rao accusing them of trying to make political capital out of the murder.
Lending support to the demand of Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok and BJP Spokesperson Suresh Kumar also demanded a CBI probe into the killing.
“When Indrajit Lankesh, a family member of the slain journalist is demanding a CBI probe, we feel it needs to be considered. The demand has gained further strength in the backdrop of Supreme Court’s order in the DySP Ganapthy’s death case where the apex court has expressed its displeasure at the CID probe and has ordered a CBI probe,” Ashok and Suresh Kumar said.Ashok said, CID has so far, failed to make any progress in nabbing the killers of writer Kalburgi even after two years after it started the investigation. It would be beneficial to hand over the Gauri Lankesh case to CBI as the killers could be from other states and the CBI is better equipped in all aspects to solve crimes of this nature.
‘Rahul is wrong to blame RSS, BJP’
BJP leaders slammed Rahul Gandhi for blaming Sangh Parivar for the scribe’s murder. Bringing BJP, RSS and the Modi government into the picture is unfortunate, BJP leader Suresh Kumar said. “Suspecting the involvement of any outfit within an hour of the killing and making baseless allegations reflects the immaturity of the leader of a national party,” he said.