A Facebook page, purportedly run by activists of right-wing outfit Sri Rama Sene, has started a fundraising campaign to support the family of Parshuram Wagmare, a suspect in journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder.
“Can you not share a portion of your earnings, a morsel of your food with patriots? Parashuram Waghmore’s family is in a financial crunch. Please help them by donating money,” the Facebook post says, according to a report in online news portal, The News Minute.
Efforts are also being made from other right-wing organisations to help him get legal aid. Veerendra Ichalkaranjikar, President of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad and a Mumbai-based lawyer, attends the court almost every hearing for the case against the six persons who have been accused, News18 reported.
Manchaleshwari Tonashyal, the Women’s Wing Chief of the Sene and a member of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha also put up a controversial Facebook post, saying,”There will be a Parashuram Waghmore born in every house if anti-Hindu activities continue to be carried out by elements who are trying to sabotage the foundation of Hindutva in this country,” her Facebook post reads.
Speaking to TNM, Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik said the fundraising campaign is only being run to take care of Waghmare’s family. “It is being done only because members of the Sene are sympathetic towards a poor family. It is not being done at the behest of Parashuram Waghmore,” he added.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team probing the case has reportedly procured a confession from Waghmore, who was picked up from Vijayapura district in north Karnataka earlier this week.
“I was told in May 2017 I had to kill someone to save my religion. I agreed. I didn’t know who the victim was. Now I feel that I should not have killed the woman,” The Times of India quoted him.
Gauri Lankesh, the Editor of Kannada tabloid ‘Lankesh Patrike’, was shot dead outside her residence in the Bengaluru’s suburb by unidentified assailants on September 5 last year.
