Mayawati demands NIA probe into Lankesh's murder

Lucknow :  The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today claimed that the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh appeared to be the part of a larger conspiracy and demanded a NIA probe into it. In a statement issued here today, BSP chief Mayawati said that along with Lankesh’s murder, the Centre should get the killings of writers such as Narendra Dabolkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

“Journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder in Bengaluru, prima facie seems to be a larger conspiracy. The Centre must order an NIA probe into the murders of authors and writers such as Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. Such murders happen after an interval. The Centre should display seriousness instead of just condemning them,” said Mayawati.

Terming Lankesh’s murder as condemnable, Mayawati said the way independent authors, journalists and intellectuals were being killed one after the other, an NIA probe is necessary, as prima facie all the cases point towards a larger conspiracy.

“The country is noticing a fatal pattern behind these killings. As was witnessed in cases of cow protection, love- jihad, anti-Romeo and ‘Ghar Waapsi campaigns, the state and the central governments did not display the serious that was required in national interest. This is a matter of serious concern,” she said.