'Why didn’t you speak when RSS men were killed?' Union Min’s whataboutery on Gauri Lankesh murder

The Union government has finally broken its silence on the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, with Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad addressing the media on Friday. The minister, while condemning the murder, asked why the state government did not protect her and why those protesting the murder don’t speak up when RSS men were killed.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, the minister questioned the Karnataka government, askinig why they didn't provide her with any security when they knew that she was bringing in Naxals who wanted to surrender.

He also said that every murder must be condemned and everyone has the right to express themselves.

The minister also sought attention for the many RSS and BJP members who have been killed in Karnataka and Kerala. He criticized liberals protesting the death of Gauri Lankesh, and questioned them as to why they didn’t outrage over the deaths of BJP and RSS workers.

He continued to question the liberals, and asked them if an RSS sevak in Kerala gets his right to an ideology. “If because of political power, an opposition of the BJP and RSS is tortured by state violence or state patronised violence, then somewhere, the right of dissent is also being crushed, but all my liberal friends maintain a conspicuous silence. This hypocrisy and double standard also needs to be exposed, because somewhere, this criticism also seems to be motivated.”

He also targeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who had questioned the BJP over Lankesh’s death. The government in Karnataka is headed by the Congress, then why doesn’t he ask his own party’s CM this question, he asked.

“This isn’t the first time Karnataka is seeing something like this. Kalburgi’s murders haven’t been caught yet,” he said, asking what the government was doing.

“We shouldn’t politicise this. I hope the government of Karnataka investigates this sincerely and catches the murderers,” he said.