Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) in Meerut on Sunday declared 15 November as 'Balidan Divas' (day of sacrifice) to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, and also launched a website for him.
Godse, who was hanged to death on 15 November, 1949, was hailed as a martyr at the function organised by the Hindu organistion. Members of ABHM and Vishwa Hindu Peeth organised a yagna for Godse at Mahasabha office at Sharda road in Meerut, according to a Hindustan Times report.
The Hindu organisation aims "to make people aware about Godse and the facts behind assassination of Gandhi" through the website -- www.nathuramgodse.in.
Calling Godse "the nationalist martyr" and "the real forgotten hero", Hindu Mahasabha's national general secretary Munna Kumar Sharma said the website will inform the public about his "contributions" to India's freedom struggle, The Hindu reported.
"We have been saying this since ages that Nathuram Godse is the actual hero who if he had his way, would never have allowed the division of our motherland. By killing Gandhi, he did a favour to us...," Sharma said.
"Godse had killed Mahatma Gandhi due to his involvement in the partition of the country. Godse was apprehensive that India would be divided further if Gandhi remained alive," The Times of India quoted Sharma as saying.
He said that the people will be made aware of the truth that was "ignored by Gandhi's stooge, Nehru and forgotten by even Hindu party like BJP".
"The main purpose of this website is to counter the anti-Hindu propaganda against Godse and serve as as one point resource Center for everybody who was interested in knowing about Godse," he added.
Initially, Godse's book 'Gandhi vadh kyun' (Why did I kill Gandhi) and his brother Gopal Godse's book 'Gandhi vadh aur main' (Gandhi's assassination and me) will be available on Godse's website.
The Hindu Mahasabha even wants a chapter on Godse's "contributions" in the making of India in the text books of school children.
"We are planning to send a memorandum to the President of the country and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, demanding that a chapter should be included in text books to make the future generations aware about Godse's immense contributions to today's India," said Madan Acharya, senior functionary of Hindu Mahasabha.
Godse, a Hindu Mahasabha member, shot Mahatma Gandhi three times in the chest at close range on 30 January, 1948, when he (Gandhi) was standing at the steps of Birla House in Delhi for evening prayer. Godse was hanged to death for killing Gandhi more than a year later in Ambala.
The BJP condemned the event and said the ruling party has nothing to do with Hindu Mahasabha. "Gandhiji is an idol for all of us. We follow his ideals. BJP has nothing to do with organisations that revere Godse," The Economic Times quoted BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as saying.
Read the full story in Hindustan Times and The Hindu.
