Were Gauri, Kalburgi killed because of their support to Lingayat dharma?
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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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
