Saffron extremist celebrating Gauri Lankesh’s murder

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BENGALURU: Journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, a known critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Lankesh, said to be in her 50s, took more than one bullet and died instantaneously at the entrance of her residence in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar.

“A total of seven bullets were fired out of which four missed the target and hit the wall of the house. Three bullets had hit her — two in her chest area and one in the forehead,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said, according to IANS.

ALSO READ: Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh shot dead in Bengaluru

An outspoken journalist, Lankesh was the editor of a weekly Kannada tabloid ‘Gauri Lankesh Patrike’ besides owning some other publications, and was known for her forthright views against hardline Hindutva politics.

While several media persons, politicians condemn the cold-blooded murder of Gauri Lankesh, there were many “Hindutva supporters” or “Hindutva fanatics” who were seen rejoicing her murder. Worthy of attention among them was one Twitter user, who’s followed by PM Modi.

He wrote, “One bitch dies the death of bitch and every puppy is crying with pain.”

Another user, Jagriti Shukla whose Twitter bio identifies her as a former Zee News and Network18 reporter justifying Gauri Lankesh’s murder said, “So, Commy Gauri Lankesh has been murdered mercilessly. Your deeds always come back to haunt you, they say. Amen.”

https://twitter.com/JagratiShukla29/status/905101542159679488

In her another tweet, Jagrati said, “Those who blv in bloody Revolution now mourning fate of Gauri Lankesh. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?”

https://twitter.com/JagratiShukla29/status/905108522605608961

https://twitter.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/905115038792290306

She was convicted by a magisterial court in Hubballi last year in connection with a defamation case filed by BJP MP Pralhad Joshi and party office bearer Umesh Doshi who had objected to publication of a report against them in her periodical on January 23, 2008. But was granted bail on the same day.

Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell chief, tweeting the link to the story on her conviction, warned other journalists of same reprisals.

Malviya’s old tweet, “Prahalad Joshi, BJP MP from Dharwad, gets Gouri Lankesh convicted in a defamation case. Hope other journos take note” has now gone viral after the news of Lankesh’s murder.