New Delhi: A BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh tweeted his salutations to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse, describing him as “the true and one of the greatest patriot ever born in Bharatbhoomi”.After the tweet came under intense criticism, Rameshnaidu Nagothu deleted the tweet.Rameshnaidu Nagothu’s deleted tweet on Nathuram Godse. Photo: Screengrab via The News MinuteIn another tweet that was in Telugu, Nagothu claimed that the “objectionable” post was made by someone who operated his Twitter handled. Their services have been terminated, he said.నా ట్విట్టర్ ను handle చేస్తున్నవారు అభ్యన్తరకరమైన post పెట్టారు దానిని , వారి సేవలను తొలగించడమైనది 🙏— Rameshnaidu Nagothu (@RNagothu) November 15, 2020According to The News Minute, Nagothu has been the Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state president.Many BJP leaders have recently expressed a similar view that Godse is a ‘patriot’, particular Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur. Before the 2019 general elections, she had said Godse was and shall remain a patriot. In November 2019, she once again referred to him as a patriot, this time in the Lok Sabha.An article published by Alt News in 2017 found that among the Twitter accounts that Prime Minister Narendra Modi follows, many are self-proclaimed ‘fans’ of Godse.Hindu Mahasabha observes death anniversary of GodseMeanwhile, the Hindu Mahasabha observed the 71st death anniversary of Godse and Narayan Apte, a co-conspirator in the killing of Gandhi in Gwalior on Sunday.Godse and Apte were hanged to death at Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949 after they were convicted for the killing Gandhi. Hindu Mahasabha observes their death anniversary as the ‘sacrifice day’, according to news agency PTI.The Mahasabha said that if the bust of Godse, confiscated three years ago from its office by Gwalior authorities, is not returned, it will install a new one.Its national vice president Jaiveer Bhardwaj said, “Our members performed ‘aarti’ and paid tributes to Godse and Apte at Daulatganj.”“If Godse’s bust is not returned to us by May, we will install a new one,” he said.He asserted that it was not a crime to install a bust in a private building and the constitution guarantees its ‘puja’ (worship).The district authorities had confiscated Godse’s bust in November 2017, thereby foiling the right-wing outfit’s attempt to turn its office into his ‘temple’.
