No link between murders of Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi: Centre

The government said on Wednesday that there is no report to suggest any link between the murders of rationalists Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.

'As per available information, there is no report to suggest any linkage/connection between the murders of Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi,' minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

Replying to another question, Rijiju said that at present, there is no proposal to ban right-wing group Santhan Sanstha.

The outfit was in the news recently when one of its members was arrested in connection with the murder of Pansare. While the Sanstha admitted that the accused was its member, it denied any role in the murder.

Rijiju said that all organisations whose activities hold ramifications for the maintenance of peace and communal harmony in the country are under constant watch of law enforcement agencies and requisite action is taken as is found to be necessary.

Pansare, a left-wing politician and author, was shot on February 16, 2015, by assailants in Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

He succumbed to injuries five days later.

Dabholkar, a rationalist and author, was killed on August 20, 2013, in Pune.

Kannada writer Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015, in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

The killings triggered a row with many writers returning their Sahitya Akademi award in protest, sparking a debate on ‘rising intolerance’ in the country.