Gauri Lankesh murder: Arrest the ‘masterminds’
Finally, the progress on Gauri Lankesh murder investigation has reached a stage of filing the chargesheet. The police have submitted a chargesheet on two young men with Sangh Parivar background. The anxiety of Gauri Lankesh murder being hushed up as Prof Kalburgi murder has been put to rest, at least tentatively. The murder happened when former CM Siddaramaiah government was in the office, and the crime took place almost late evening. People had expected the arrest of culprits much faster than this, but then again, the agencies took a disappointingly longer time.
There are allegations that Gauri Lankesh’s family didn’t cooperate with the investigating agencies. The inconsistency of statements of Indrajit Lankesh, Gauri’s brother, have often contributed to the delay in derailing the investigation. Media has also contributed much in this regard. Yet, this has been a big achievement on part of the police to have made a headway into this progress. However, the chargesheet says the ones arrested are not those who planned the murder, but only those who executed it. This is disappointing since a delayed investigation and submission of witness and circumstantial evidence would mean the culprits will come out free within no time. So, the arrest of Naveen and Praveen are not the final sigh of relief for friends and family of Gauri. The supari killers may have been paid by certain elements in the society and their role has to be probed to get to the root of this bigger issue of hating dissidence. The ones who killed Gauri may not even have known why they were asked to kill her. Money may be their only link to this crime.
Such Supari killers are not hate mongers. They are just the tools at the hands of hate mongers who want every dissident voice wiped off from the face of earth. Had the Kalburgi killers been nabbed, there were chances of Gauri being alive today. If the killers of Gauri aren’t nabbed with their network, it may lead to another such incident and loss of a significant life. There are already plans of writer Bhagwan being targeted. The culprits often hide themselves amidst the general public. And they are also confident that they’d be let off for want of evidence. Hence even the hands of legal system is bloodied with Gauri’s murder.
One young fellow had celebrated Kalaburgi’s murder in Dakshina Kannada. He was arrested and let off on bail. The same fellow used the loopholes in legal frame work and gathered courage to kill another youngster Harish Pujari In Bantwal. His agenda was to create unrest among Hindu and Muslims. Had he been punished for his behavior earlier during Kalburgi’s incident, a life would have been saved and Bantwal wouldn’t have witnessed communal tensions.
Just the way as Sangh Parivar’s ideology is responsible for the threatening situation and murder of intellectuals, loopholes in legal frame work has also greatly contributed to the emboldening of criminals. Communal tensions are being dealt with some sort of soft handed approach and this has led to communal mindset even among law implementing agencies. Political pressure could also be another reason.
Many assume delivering hate-speeches can make them leaders. If cases are lodged against them, they wouldn’t even dare repeat their crime. Former MLA Ramanath Rai couldn’t arrest Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat despite having declared that he’d do that. Had he done that, the state would have been far safer today and many people would have been alive amidst us.
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
