As the nation paid homage to the father of the nation on his 71st death anniversary yesterday, the Hindu Mahasabha celebrated his assassination and the ‘martyrdom’ of his assassin, Nathuram Godse as ‘Shaurya Divas’ in a scurrilous manner. An extremely appalling video, showing Hindu Mahasabha national secretary Shakun Pandey shooting at the effigy of Mahatma Gandhi in Aligarh Uttar Pradesh on January 30, 2019, has gone viral on social media.
A blood-like liquid was seen oozing out of the effigy after saffron-robed Pandey shot at it with a toy gun to recreate the assassination of Gandhi. She also distributed sweets to commemorate the assassination and garlanded the statue of Nathuram Godse.
Pandey later told reporters that Hindu Mahasabha has started a new tradition by “recreating” the assassination of Gandhi, and it would be now an annual event celebrated in a manner similar to the immolation of demon king Ravana on Dussehra.
The Aligarh Police has registered a case against 13 people including Pandey; one person has been arrested while seven are absconding. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused. Senior Superintendent of Police of Aligarh Akash Kulhary said “Today on the occasion of the 71st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, workers of Hindu Mahasabha fired at the effigy of Mahatma Gandhi. The incident took place in a house in Naurangabad locality of the city. Later, the video of the event went viral on social media,”.
However, this is not the only time that the Hindu Mahasabha has tried to eulogize Godse. The outfit leader Swami Pranavananda in 2015 announced his plan to install figures of Gandhi’s assassin across six districts of Karnataka. He also labeled Godse as a ‘patriot’ who had worked with the blessings of Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948, at Birla House in Delhi during his evening prayers. The day is observed as ‘Martyrs Day’. Godse was one of the early members of the right-wing organization, founded by Madan Mohan Malviya in 1915.