BJP Yuva Morcha Files Complaint Against Guha For Accusing RSS Of Gauri Lankesh’s Murder

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha has filed a complaint seeking criminal proceedings against noted historian Ramachandra Guha for his allegations linking the killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh with the Sangh Parivar.

It accused Guha of making "baseless" allegations against the Sangh Parivar organisations to tarnish their image, create a wrong perception in the minds of the public, and "cause provocation with intention to cause violence".

The complaint was filed by Sankeerth Thady, Secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha, Bengaluru city, at the Malleshwaram police station yesterday.

On 11 September, the Yuva Morcha had slapped a legal notice on Guha seeking an unconditional apology for linking the Sangh Parivar with the killing of Gauri Lankesh.

Following the notice Guha had tweeted, "In India today, independent writers and journalists are harassed, persecuted, and even killed. But we shall not be silenced."

In another tweet, he said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the answer to a book or article can only be another book or article. But we no longer live in Vajpayee's India."

The complainant quoted Guha as saying, "It is very likely that her (Gauri Lankesh) murderers came from the same Sangh Parivar from which the murderers of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi came", in an interview to a news website. "The direct allegations, insinuations and innuendos are deliberately made by Mr Ramachandra Guha and with full knowledge impute criminal conduct," the complaint read.

Pointing out that investigation was ongoing into the killings, it said the charges amount to illegal interference in the course of justice and is also a grave offence.

Gauri Lankesh, known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of 5 September.