The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday said Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse was a murderer, not a hero, and termed as totally wrong certain organisations’ attempt to honour him.
“I don’t know which organisation it is. But I am against honouring and giving respect to Nathuram Godse. He is a murderer. The battle of ideology should be fought with ideology only. It is not right to kill anyone as was done by Godse,” RSS ideologue and chief spokesperson MG Vaidya said.
“Nathuram Godse was a murderer. He was wrong in killing a great soul. Some people may think he was encouraged by Hindutva,” he said.
“Some people think that by doing so (killing Mahatma Gandhi), they have encouraged Hindutva, but that is wrong. In fact, they have insulted Hindutva. I think it was evil to kill Mahatma Gandhi who was such a respected figure in India,” he added.
His remarks came in the wake of reports of Hindu Mahasabha, Hindu Sena and Maharana Pratap Battalion commemorating Godse’s 66th death anniversary as ‘Shaurya Diwas’ and ‘Balidan Diwas’.
While the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha launched a website for “Nathuram Godse — The Real Forgotten Hero”, the Maharana Pratap Battalion celebrated Godse’s anniversary at Panvel in Mumbai. The Hindu Mahasabha, which also conducted havans at its offices across India, made headlines last year when it declared plans to build temples for Godse.
Members of Sanatan Sanstha, which was in the news for the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, also participated in the ceremony.
Earlier, the RSS in its Twitter account blamed certain media organizations for giving wrong reports about its involvement in honouring Godse.
In an election rally in Thane last year, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had alleged that it was a RSS man who had killed Mahatma Gandhi. “And today their people (BJP) talk about Gandhi. Sardar Patel was a Congress leader, he has written clearly about the RSS, and today they (BJP) tell the Congress that Sardar Patel is our leader,” Rahul had said. The RSS had subsequently lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Election Commission.
Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead on January 30, 1948, by Godse. Sardar Patel, India’s first Home Minister, had then banned the RSS but revoked it within eight months, stating that the organisation had nothing to do with the killing. Godse was hanged on November 15, 1949 following his conviction.
Earlier, Rahul had also said that the then prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, Narendra Modi believed in an organisation like the RSS, whose “poisonous mentality” killed Mahatma Gandhi. The Sangh did not react then terming Rahul’s remarks as “kindergarten comments”. It advised Rahul to read history carefully.