#GauriLankeshMurder https://t.co/cEqUUDA2tF

DMK working president M.K. Stalin expressed profound shock and indignation on September 6, 2017, following the brutal assassination of eminent journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh outside her residence in Bengaluru. Stalin characterized the murder as a cowardly, heinous assault on freedom of the press, democratic dissent, and the constitutional right to free expression. He noted that Gauri Lankesh was an intrepid, fearless voice who consistently championed secular values, progressive social reform, and the rights of marginalized communities against communal intolerance.

Stalin warned that the chilling assassination followed a sinister pattern of targeted killings of progressive intellectuals, rationalist thinkers, and dissenting scholars across the country, citing the previous murders of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, and M.M. Kalburgi. Silencing independent journalistic voices through terror posed an existential threat to India democratic ethos. He urged authorities to conduct a thorough, expeditious investigation to apprehend the perpetrators and conspirators behind the crime.

The DMK leader reaffirmed that progressive democratic movements would never be silenced by violence. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and journalistic fraternity, pledging that DMK would stand steadfast in safeguarding journalistic freedom across the nation.