Hindu Mahasabha regards Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary as Shaurya Divas in honour of Nathuram Godse
A day after a right-wing group shockingly re-enacted the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by shooting his effigy in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, three people have been arrested today, according to news agency PTI.
A case had been registered against 13 people last night after a video showed some people, led by Hindu Mahasabha's general secretary Puja Shakun Pandey, firing shots at an effigy of the Father of the Nation on his 71st death anniversary and then setting it on fire amid cheers.
''We are taking this matter seriously and action will be taken against all those found guilty," police said, adding Puja Shakun Pandey is missing.
The Hindu Mahasabha -- of which Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was once a member -- also garlanded his statue and distributed sweets to hail what they claimed was a watershed moment in Indian history.
Puja Shakun Pandey had told reporters yesterday that her organisation has started a new tradition by recreating the assassination, and it will now be practised in a manner similar to the immolation of demon king Ravana on Dussehra.
The Hindu Mahasabha regards the day of Mahatma Gandhi's death as Shaurya Divas (Bravery Day), in honour of Nathuram Godse. The right-wing activist was one of the early members of the organisation, founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya way back in 1915.
This is not the first time the Hindu Mahasabha has tried to glorify Nathuram Godse while trying to denigrate the celebrated freedom fighter. In 2015, outfit leader Swami Pranavananda had announced plans to install statues of Nathuram Godse across six districts of Karnataka. He also described the assassin as a "patriot" who had worked with the blessings of Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
With inputs from PTI