Fearless thinker MM Kalaburgi laid to rest, a shocked Karnataka searching for assassins and motives

Bengaluru: A state mourns and thousands bid goodbye to Karnataka rationalist, scholar and writer Dr M M Kalaburgi, who was shot dead by two persons at his home on Sunday morning. This, even as the state government orders a CID enquiry into the daring killing. Tributes, state honours and a tearful farewell to Dr MM Kalaburgi, as friends, family, students, political and religious leaders came together to bid adieu to the one of north Karnataka's most fearless thinkers and writers… a man known for not mincing words, known for his exhaustive research on Lingayat literature, a man who has served as a vice-chancellor in Karnataka before. Dr Kalaburgi, who had drawn the wrath of right-wing fundamentalists over the last year for his comments on idol worship, was shot dead by two unidentified murderers who knocked on his door Sunday morning and killed him point blank. A shocked state govt on Monday ordered a cid probe.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah who had rushed to Dharwad on Sunday to pay his last respects, has ordered a CID inquiry into the murder.

Elsewhere across Dharwad, thousands of grieving commoners came out in silent support, displaying black bands and forming a human chain.. demonstrators walked in a rally for justice, hours after a Bajrang Dal activist tweeted that he welcomed Kalaburgi's killing, and another Kannada writer Prof KS Bhagavan is next on their radar.

Reacting to this noted actor and playwright Girish Karnad said, "he point is, this is not the culture of Karnataka to kill people for saying their opinion. I know him he was very nice person. He has always been ready for discussions. Any person's killing is not acceptable. It should be condemned because nobody should be killed even he says any unpleasant thing".

But a writer silenced, and others facing an open threat, has rankled many – as seen in the an outpour of grief and anger on social media as well.

Even Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP and a noted writer himself condemned the incident. Police in Mangalore, in coastal Karnataka, have registered a suo motu case against the activist, Bhuvith Shetty, who is absconding. State-wide, security has been accorded to other writers who have faced threats.