Ramchandra Guha sent legal notice for linking Gauri Lankesh's murder to BJP, RSS

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on September 05.

File photo

Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party has sent a legal notice to historian Ramchandra Guha for linking Gauri Lankesh's murder to BJP and RSS.

The notice has been sent by Karunakar Khasale, state secretary of BJP yuva morcha, Karnataka, who has accused the historian of making false allegations meant to tarnish the image of the saffron party. 

As per media reports, the notice demands that Guha issue an apology to the BJP and the RSS, otherwise civil and criminal prosecution would be initiated against him.

Guha had said that even if the BJP or the RSS were not directly involved in the journalist's killing, the ruling dispensation had enabled a climate of hate and suspicion making it possible.

He had added that 'freelancers' who actually commit these acts were emboldened by politicians and ideologues.

Guha had further written, in an article in a leading Daily, that the political climate at present was more poisonous than at any time since the Emergency.

Senior Kannada journalist was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on September 05.

Gauri, aged 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants had fired at her indiscriminately with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead. She had died instantaneously.

She edited Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike' besides owning some other publications.

Born in 1962, Gauri was the daughter of legendary Kannada journalist P Lankesh. Her siblings, Kavitha and Indrajit Lankesh, are film and theatre personalities. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the legal notice by the BJP, Guha tweeted:

In India today, independent writers and journalists are harassed, persecuted, and even killed. But we shall not be silenced. — Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) September 11, 2017

(With Agency inputs)