Hindu Mahasabha to celebrate Nathuram Godse's death anniversary as 'balidan diwas'

New Delhi, Oct 19: Almost a year after it triggered controversy by asking the Government to provide space for installing busts of Nathuram Godse at different locations in the country, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has now decided to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin as 'balidan diwas' on Nov 15.

Godse, a former member of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, was hanged on Nov 15, 1949 following his conviction over killing Father of the Nation.

Now, Hindu Mahasabha wants to commemorate Godse's death anniversary as 'balidan diwas' (sacrifice day). Mahasabha national president Chandra Prasad Kaushik has reportedly said he has asked all its 120 offices across the country to gear up for a "district level" commemoration of "Balidan diwas" this year.

The outfit will also distribute a abridged copies of 'Gandhivadh Kyon', a book written by Gopal Godse, Nathuram Godse's younger brother.

Earlier last year, the ultra right wing outfit had stoked massive controversy when Mahasabha national president Chandra Prasad Kaushik also sought a debate on installing Godse's busts and said that the reasons given in the Court by him for killing Mahatma Gandhi should be made public.

He claimed the opinion that Godse was a murderer, was not of the entire nation.

"The country should debate this and there should be a survey done on this. If a selected few in the country say that Gandhi was great and Godse was a murderer, we do not accept this. The country's citizens have not said this.

"This was said by those who were sitting in the government. The judge who sentenced Godse wrote a book later in his life in which he stated that if people were made jury during that period, then Godse would have been released," Kaushik claimed.

Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi, apostle of non-violence, by shooting in his chest three times at point-blank range on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi.

OneIndia News