Scribes condemn murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh

Warangal: Severe condemnation was poured, here on Wednesday, against the murder of Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh as her final rites were held with full state honours in Bengaluru on the day.

Several social organisations, writers and journalists unions have strongly condemned the assassination of the 55-year-old journalist at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday night by unidentified assailants, who fired at her at point-blank range.

Telangana Press Academy chairman Allam Narayana, who was here on Wednesday, paid homage to the deceased journalist, along with several senior journalists. Speaking on the occasion, he demanded immediate arrest of the assailants and to punish them severely.

‘It’s a brutal killing. Guari Lankesh was a progressive minded social activist, writer and journalist working with social concern. It is a sad reminder of danger the journalists facing from anti progressive forces,” he said. He wanted the governments to ensure safety of journalists working in all the states of India.

Senior journalists BR Lenin, P Siva Kumar, Ch Sudhakar, Noora Srinivas, G Venkat and others also expressed shock at the killing of the journalist.

Meanwhile, the members Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Human Rights Forum, Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi, Democratic Students Union and others have taken out a candle light rally from Kaloji Centre to Adalath Centre and staged a dharna as a mark of protest against the murder of the journalist.

The SIO national secretary Syed Azharuddin, speaking on the occasion, said the murder of Gauri Lankesh once again showcased the fact that the democratic right of dissent was in peril. “We join the kith and kin of the deceased in this painful time,” he said.