india

Updated: May 20, 2018 17:02 IST

The city police had to intervene after Congress party workers protested against members of a right-wing group that was celebrating the birth anniversary of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, in a locality of Bhopal on Saturday evening.

Godse’s followers, led by PK Tiwari from the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, assembled under the Veer Savarkar Setu at RRL triangular crossing. They garlanded Godse’s photo and started serving sharbat (sweetened drink) among passersby when a group of youth Congress workers led by state youth Congress spokesperson Krishna Ghadge reached there and objected to the celebration.

The youth Congress workers raised slogans for Mahatma Gandhi and against Nathuram Godse. They said they would not allow any function that celebrates the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.

Later, a police team reached there and persuaded both sides to maintain harmony. The Hindu Mahasabha activists removed the table, photo, etc, from the spot and left the place.

Talking to media persons, Tiwari said they were celebrating Godse birth anniversary in a peaceful manner. It was the Congress workers who created a ruckus and disturbed the programme.

Ghadge said such a celebration was an insult to the Mahatma and they would not allow such functions in Madhya Pradesh.

In Gwalior, too, Mahasabha members celebrated Godse birth anniversary at their office on Saturday.

In November last year, the district administration had to intervene and remove a temple of Godse built inside the Mahasabha office by its members.