Not linked to Lankesh killing, says Ram Sene chief

Bengaluru: Sri Ram Sene founder and chief Pramod Muthalik on Saturday distanced himself and his organisation from Parashuram Waghmare, accused of shooting journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh to death on September 5 last year, hours after the SIT began interrogating Rakesh Math, the Vijayapura district president of the right wing outfit.

Math was questioned on Saturday for 11 hours even as the SIT tried to decoding Kannada notes in diaries seized from six arrested accused in Lankesh murder.  

Mr Muthalik not only denied Sri Ram Sene’s role in the killing of Lankesh and other rationalists but also insisted that Waghmare is an RSS man.

“There is no connection between Sri Ram Sene and Waghmare. He is neither our member nor our worker. This I say very clearly,” he said, adding that when the Pakistani flag hoisting issue had come to light he had proved that Waghmare was not a member of Sri Ram Sene but that of the RSS.

“I had shared his pictures sporting RSS uniform. I had said at that time that he is an RSS worker and not of Sri Ram Sene,” Mr Muthalik said.