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Claiming that Gauri had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided the senior journalist security.

As the RSS-BJP came under attack in case of the gruesome murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Karnataka, the saffron party on Friday hit back at the Opposition, calling into question the role of the Congress government in the state.

Another Sangh Parivar constituent, the VHP, asked for a CBI probe in the matter, expressing suspicion that the murder could be a Congress conspiracy.

The BJP questioned the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka on its failure to provide security to Lankesh, who was murdered outside her house in Bengaluru. The party also raised suspicion around the possible role of extremist left wing elements in perpetrating the murder, referring to her work for the surrender of Naxalites.

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the “malafide” comments on the “regrettable and unfortunate” killing of the journalist-activist. Claiming that she had worked for the surrender of Naxalites, Prasad asked why the Siddaramaiah government had not provided her security.

“Indrajit Lankesh is on record having said publicly that his sister was working actively to ensure the surrender of Naxalites. So was she doing it with consent and approval of the state government, and if so, why was she not provided adequate security?” said Prasad.

“It had also been said Naxalites were unhappy with this. Why was there such a security failure by the Congress government in Karnataka?” he added.

Meanwhile, VHP international joint general secretary Surendra Jain told Mail Today, “Killings have so far in India been a festival for the left over which they have celebrated their politics. They jump at killings and jump at conclusions and their associates, like organised mafia, exploit it. Either Gauri’s murder or that of another scribe in Bihar, no one should be killed; it is regrettable. But playing politics over this is all the more regrettable. Gauri was working recently on cases of corruption and scams by Congress leaders in the state. She was having an ideological clash with Naxalites. In the last one year 22 scribes have been killed. Who did they raise their voice at?” Jain said.

“We want a CBI inquiry in the matter. But that needs the permission of the state government. In recent times, many of our cadre were killed in Karnataka and shamefully no one has been arrested and jailed in those respects. Law and order has broken down. Siddaramaiah is trying to play a bloody game in Karnataka politics. Therefore, all these killings seem to be sponsored by him and his Congress government. In last one year, 13 BJP workers were killed and none has been jailed. For a handful of Muslim votes Siddaramaiah can do anything,”Jain said.

Meanwhile, Prasad lashed out against so called liberals of double standards who remain silent on on the killings of RSS workers in Karnataka and Kerala. “Why is that all my liberal friends who speak so eloquently and strongly against the killing of a journalist maintain conspicuous silence when so many RSS and BJP workers were killed in Karnataka and Kerala,” he said.