Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to respond each time a "dog dies in Karnataka", Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik asked in a reference to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, drawing a furious reaction from the Congress.

"Everyone is saying that Hindu groups conspired to kill Gauri Lankesh, but two murders in Maharashtra and two in Karnataka took place during Congress' rule," he said, referring to the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Left leader Govind Pansare, Kannada writer M M Kalburagi and Lankesh.