Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 14: The ‘I am Gauri’ rally to protest against the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh on September 12 in Bengaluru was sponsored by the state government, accused BJP Party Spokesperson S Suresh Kumar.

Addressing the reporters on Wednesday, he said collapse of law and order as the Congress government failed to deliver good governance was the main cause that killed Gauri. However, all protestors remained silent on the state government’s failure and chose to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar.

Being silent on the Congress and strident on the Sangh Parivar is proof that the entire programme was Congress-sponsored. Presence of CM’s media adviser Dinesh Amin Mattu at the rally in making arrangements, confirms the role of the state government, he alleged.

S Suresh Kumar

“The anger was not misdirected but the target (Prime Minister and the Sangh Parivar) was consciously and deliberately chosen (sic),” he asserted.

Prior to the rally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) threatened to sue anybody mentioning the Sangh Parivar in connection with the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

However, numerous speakers at ‘I Am Gauri’ accused Hindutva forces for “stifling dissent” in the country. The protest became a platform for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Union government on many counts.

State BJP spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar had told media persons on Wednesday that the party would review the video recording of the entire meet and would take legal recourse against anybody “who blamed the Sangh Parivar for the murders.”