Hindu group sets up shrine for Mahatma’s killer in Gwalior
BHOPAL: The Hindu Mahasabha on Wednesday setup a shrine for Mahatma Gandhi killer Nathuram Godse on the premises of its property in Gwalior on his death anniversary.
Godse’s bust was unveiled amid Vedic chants and was worshipped with cow urine, curd, milk, honey and water from the Ganges.
Hindu Mahasabha Gwalior leader, DrJaivee rB hardwaj,t old Hindustan Times on phone that they setup the temple inside their building as district authorities didn’t give them land or permission.
“We applied for permission on November 9 but the district authorities told us they don’ t give such permissions.So, we decided to set up the temple in our property in the Daulatganj area of Gwalior city,” he said.
Bhardwaj said the objective was to make the younger generation understand Godse’s life, which is often distorted, and Gandhi’s role in the Partition. He said that God se spent time in Gwalior before travelling to Delhi to kill Gandhi.
“Every Tuesday, we will perform‘ a khan dBh ar at aarti’ (w orshipping undivided India) in the temple and apprise youth of his life and vision. Before his martyrdom, God se had wished that his ashes be immersed in the Sindhu river when his dream of‘ Ak hand Bharat’ (undivided India) is fulfilled,” he said.
Bhardwaj said that nobody contributed funds for the temple and they had to pool money from within the organisation to commission the bust, which was sculpted by Gwalior-based sculptor Dinesh Prajapati.
God se assassinated Gandhi on January30,1948. He was hanged in Ambala jail on November 15, 1949. God se, along with Na ray an Apte, was reported to have travelled from Delhi to Gwalior by train on January 28, 1948, to get a pistol used to shoot Gandhi. Godse and Apte left for Delhi on January 29.
Gwalior mayor Vivek Shej- walkar said he was not aware of the Hindu Mahasabha seeking permission for the temple.
“If anybody wants to set up a shrine or a temple within their property, I don’t think they need any permission for it,” he said.
State Congress chief spokesperson, KK Mishra, said, “How can the state government allow a temple where the killer of Mahatma Gandhi will be worshipped? We are planning to file a petition in court to press for lodging a case of sedition against those involved in setting up the temple .”
State BJP chief spokesperson, Deepak Vijayvargiya, said, “Whether such a shrine can be allowed will be looked into by the local administration.”