Gauri Lankesh murder: Sangh Parivar outfit leader booked for delivering hate speech near Kochi

Kochi: A Sangh Parivar outfit leader was on Monday booked for allegedly making a hate speech at a public function near Kochi on Friday. Addressing a function organised by the “Hindu Aikyavedi” at North Paravur, the outfit’s Kerala president KP Sasikala had allegedly urged secular writers to conduct “Mrityunjaya Homam” at Lord Shiva temples to save them from meeting a fate similar to that of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Karnataka. [caption id=“attachment_4026269” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of protest after Gauri Lankesh’s murder. PTI[/caption] The 55-year-old Left-leaning journalist, a fierce critic of Hindutva politics, was shot dead at the doorstep of her house while she was returning from her office on 5 September. The police said Sasikala has been booked under the charge of wantonly giving provocation with an intent to cause a riot. A case also has been registered against RV Babu, another leader of the Hindu Aikyavedi, for making a provocative speech at the function, the police said. The case was registered based on a complaint by Congress MLA V D Satheeshan. Her speech, telecast by media, was criticised by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders. Apparently referring to allegations seeking to link the killing of Gauri to the BJP or people following its ideology, Sasikala had said there was no need for them to indulge in such acts. She had alleged that Congress in Karnataka was capitalising on such issues and said the party was “facing continuous electoral defeats”. Speaking in Kannur on Sunday, Vijayan had said that asking thinkers and writers to conduct ‘Mrityunjaya Homam’ was meant to disrupt the progress made by Kerala society. Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala urged the government to book Sasikala for her controversial speech under non-bailable sections of IPC. The BJP and the Hindu Aikyavedi alleged that the visual media had aired a “distorted version” of her speech.