Hemant Karkare, who was gunned down in a terrorist attack in Mumbai, and his team had been successful in tapping the major attack plans unleashed by saffron terror in the country. Even today, one cannot be sure if they died a death in an attack or were led into a conspiracy, so that their investigations could be aborted. And investigation of journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder is also taking the same route. The investigation is partially complete and the main accused has been arrested. His statement as to what prompted him to commit this murder, has been widely reported in the media. Parashuram Waghmore or anyone else involved in this murder, do not possess any deep love for Hindu dharma nor do they love their motherland beyond their reasoning, as they claim. Their main agenda is to disturb the peace in the country. Hence, they were also caught hoisting Pakistan flag in Sindagi, and were handed over to the police after being caught red handed. They only wanted to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims. Though on the surface Gauri’s murder seems to be an act of pride to save Hindu dharma, the accused do not possess any great knowledge about the dharma they are claiming to defend. He does not even have any personal enmity towards Gauri. This person has a history of rowdy activity and he was given the ‘supari’ of Gauri’s murder after feeding him enough hate towards the slain journalist. And the hate, he was made to believe, is his love for the religion. Waghmore has been used as a tool in this crime. This murder has links with Maharashtra. This aspect is now almost proven. Gauri’s murder has revealed a lot of ugly truths about saffron terror in the country.
If this crime is followed closely, there are chances that one might reach the root of other such murders of Prof Kalburgi, Dabholkar, Pansare and others. There could be many supari killers, but their boss or the organization that engages their services seems to be only one. Kalaburgi and Gauri had argued great deal about Lingayat dharma having to stand independent of Hinduism/Hindutva because of its unique genesis. Kalaburgi through his research work had proved beyond doubt that Lingayat dharma stood strongly apart from Vaidika/Brahminical dharma. His work showed the uniqueness of Lingayat dharma dharma to the followers of Basavanna. When the movement started, insisting Lingayat dharma be separated from Hindu dharma, Gauri had contributed greatly to it through her speeches, involvement and sharing of thoughts. Saffron forces and Hindutva brigade were shaken by the support this thought had evoked across the state. Chances of Lingayat dharma dominating the RSS discourse were very high. The same ideology that finished the proponent of Lingayat dharma, social reformer Basavanna, seem to have worked against Kalaburgi and Gauri. HIndutva will lose its relevance if Lingayat dharma is allowed to march ahead, independent of all its shackles and institutions.
Hence those thinkers who supported a separate dharma, were done to death to scare the others. If the investigation of Gauri’s death is intensified, this may lead to tangible clues into saffron terror camps across Maharashtra. Pramod Muthalik of Sri Ram Sene has lost his semblance, ever since the details and name of the accused persons behind Gauri’s killings were announced. He has drawn parallels to this case and death of a dog, equating one to another. His talks lack basic decency and culture. He had feigned ignorance when Jambigi and others were held. Now that the pictures of Waghmore posing with Muthalik have made way into media houses, Muthalik seems to be singing a different tune. He has not been arrested yet. He and his organization has been banned in Goa. Why is Karnataka unable to show that gumption? Which are those hands that are protecting Muthalik and stopping government machinery from discharging its duty? The secular leaders have to answer these questions now without postponing them any further.
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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.
