Holding Sri Ram Sene, Sanatan Sanstha and other right-wing groups responsible for the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh, scholar M.M. Kalburgi, and Left intellectuals Narendra Dabolkar and Govinda Pansare, Pragatipara Sanghatanegala Okkoota, a platform of like-minded progressive organisations, staged a demonstration at Jagat Circle here on Wednesday demanding that the government ban the “right-wing extremist outfits”.
Referring to the recent arrests made by Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the links of those arrested with right-wing organisations, agitating activists said that the murders were carried out as part of a larger conspiracy of silencing dissent by force.
“The arrests and the investigation by the SIT have, beyond any doubt, shown that Gauri Lankesh was murdered for her views. Parashuram Wagmore, the latest one arrested by the SIT in the case, was the one who had hoisted Pakistan flag in Sindagi a few years ago and attempted to trigger communal violence by attributing the act to Muslims. Chances are that Kalburgi, Dabolkar and Pansare too were assassinated for a similar reason. The government needs to take it seriously and impose the ban on right-wing groups that were spreading terror among people who hold and express opinions that are different and contrary to their ideology,” K. Neela, State vice-president of Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan, said during the agitation.
Commending the SIT for its successful efforts in cracking the Gauri Lankesh murder case to an extent, she stressed on the need to intensify the investigation to nab the real criminals who sponsored the murder.
“SIT is doing a good job and we need to encourage it. The government should ensure that no forces would interfere in and exert influence on the investigation process so that the SIT carry on its investigation freely and fairly and reach the bottom of the barrel to nab the main conspirators,” she said.
The memorandum addressed to the President of India was signed by Ravindra Shabadi, Vittal Chikani, Savitri S., Prabhu Khanapure, R.K. Hudugi, Ashwini Madankar, Priyanka Mavinkar, Mahantesh Kodle, Mustan Biradar and other leaders representing different organisations and it was submitted to the office of Deputy Commissioner.