Kozhikode: In a tit-for-tat to the Hindu Mahasabha recreating the killing of Mahatma Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) hanged his killer Nathuram Godse in effigy in all its block centres on Thursday evening.

DYFI national president P A Muhammed Riyas told Onmanorama that they were hanging the ideology of Godse, and not an individual. The event was staged in more than 200 centres in Kerala.

“Keep Gandhi in heart, hang Godse, means we are destroying the ideology that was promoted by Godse. If Godse could not kill him, someone else from them (Hindu Mahasabha) would have killed him, and yesterday's recreation of Gandhi killing is a proof of that. They were against secularism, for which Gandhi lived. They wanted a Hindu nation and people from other belief to follow them. India, foreseen by Mahatma Gandhi and others, were against this ideology. Killing of Gandhi was not based on personal hatred, but a clash of ideology. So, we are hanging his ideology here,” Riyas said.

A video that went viral on social media showed Hindu Mahasabha national secretary Puja Shakun Pandey shoot the effigy of Gandhiji amid cheers. After the shooting, the organisers also garlanded Godse's statue and distributed sweets.

The organisation observes the day of Gandhi's death as Shaurya Divas (Bravery Day), in honour of Godse.