Bhopal: Hindu Mahasabha observed the 70th anniversary of hanging of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse and his prime collaborator Narayan Apte as Balidan Diwas at its office in Daultganj area of Gwalior on Friday.
The duo was hanged till death in Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949. Not only their photographs were garlanded, Mahasabha activists wearing saffron cops also performed an aarti and sang bhajans in their memory.
The event was held in Mahasabha’s office, where a banner glorifying the duo’s act was also put up.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve observed Balidan Diwas to mark execution of Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte,” Hindu Mahasabha vice-president Jaiveer Bhardwaj said.
After the event, Mahasabha leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Kamal Nath to local administration.
“We have put forth four demands through the memorandum. Godse’s last statement recorded before the trial court should be included in state school curriculum. It will educate our young generations about his real nationalistic persona,” he said.
Besides, Mahasabha also demanded that Godse’s statue seized from our office in 2017 by the local administration should be returned. The seizure was carried out under the pressure of the Congress which was in opposition. “We have also demanded that those who vandalised Swami Vivekananda’s statue in JNU campus be booked for sedition,” he added.
According to reports from Gwalior, no attempt was made by local administration or police to stop the event. Instead local cops and tehsildar waited outside the building housing the Mahasabha’s office and returned after accepting the memorandum from the right wing Hindu outfit’s leaders.
Two years back, Mahasabha activists had tried to set up Hutatma Nathuram Godse temple in the office premises by installing Godse’s idol. However, the plan was foiled by local administration and the police and the idol was seized.
Meanwhile, state public relations minister PC Sharma put the onus of action in the matter on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. “I’ll talk to the Gwalior district collector in the matter, but since the BJP is evincing so much commitment towards Mahatma Gandhi, the PM and the union home minister also need to intervene and act in the matter.”
