BJP Government silent as vigilantes murder Gauri Lankesh: 6 September 2017

The New Trade Union Initiative strongly condemns the cold blooded premeditated murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The voices of dissent of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M M Kalburgi and now Gauri Lankesh have all been silenced. Lankesh, editor of Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly, last week, wrote on the Gorakhpur deaths criticising the UP government, against the deportation of the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, slammed demonetisation. In 2003, she opposed the Sangh Parivar's attempts to appropriate the Sufi dargah of Hazrat Dada Hayat Khalandar in the Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, as a Hindu temple. She most recently vocally supported the demand of the Lingayat community declaring themselves as non-hindus. In 2008, following an article in her paper against several BJP leaders, including an MP, a defamation suit was filed against her, which she eventually lost. She has also been a vocal advocate for freedom of the press and freedom of speech. She has stood up for the rights of historically discriminated castes and communities and against the discrimination of religious minorities.