Tejasvi Surya targets Priyank over Gauri Lankesh murder remarks
Bengaluru: A political confrontation has erupted between the BJP and the Congress over Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge’s remarks linking the Sangh Parivar to the murders of journalist Gauri Lankesh and rationalist M M Kalburgi.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday, November 9, demanded that Kharge substantiate his allegations with evidence within three days or step down from his ministerial position.
In a post on social media, Surya said the Home Minister should focus on ensuring justice through the judicial system instead of making political statements about pending murder cases. He said the demand for justice in the killings of Lankesh and Kalburgi required commitment and accountability.
Mr. @PriyankKharge, the cause of justice for Gauri Lankesh and Prof. Kalburgi deserves far better than political speeches at a Muslim Youth League event in Kerala.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) November 10, 2026
You are Karnataka's Home Minister. Your responsibility is to ensure justice in accordance with the rule of law, not… https://t.co/yZwoiSbIiA
Questioning the progress of the investigations and trials, Surya said the chargesheet in the Gauri Lankesh murder case was filed in 2018, but the trial began only in 2022. The case is currently before its seventh judge, while all the accused are out on bail, he pointed out.
He also cited the Kalburgi murder trial, claiming that only 33 of the 139 witnesses had been examined by September 2026.
Surya questions Congress govt
Surya said the Congress had governed Karnataka for most of the period following the murders and that the state government itself had formed the Special Investigation Teams. He asked what steps the Home Department had taken to ensure speedy and effective trials.
He further criticised Kharge for reportedly promising that the cases would be completed within six months and those responsible would be jailed. Such statements by a serving Home Minister could create doubts about the independence of the judicial process, Surya said.
Demanding clarification, he asked Kharge to identify those allegedly linked to the Sangh Parivar who had been chargesheeted and produce evidence supporting his claims within three days.
Kharge had alleged at a Muslim League event in Kerala that Sangh-linked individuals were involved in the murders and said the government was pursuing the cases seriously.
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This content is published by The Siasat Daily and has not been created or edited by Hello Headlines. View original
