TAP TO UNMUTE File picture: Mahatma Gandhi

Bhopal: In what could be described as the biggest insult to 'Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu Mahasabha on Thursday installed a bust of his assassin Nathuram Godse and consecrated it at its Gwalior office.

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The Hindu Mahasabha's act provoked demand by the Congress for booking the outfit for sedition.

The BJP, however, said the Congress should not lay "sole claim" to Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and, if a law was violated by the Hindu Mahasabha, it would be dealt with accordingly.

Nathuram Godse was hanged in Ambala jail on November 15, 1949. The date is now being observed annually by the organisation as 'balidan diwas' (the day of sacrifice).

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Hindu Mahasabha national vice president Jaiveer Bharadwaj said a 32-inch tall bust of Godse was installed at its office in Daulatganj area of Gwalior city.

READ IN HINDI: प्रशासन से अनुमति नहीं मिली तो हिन्‍दू महासभा ने अपने कार्यालय में बनाया गोडसे का मंदिर, कांग्रेस भड़की

He said the ritual of 'pran pratishtha' (consecration of the idol) was performed and 'panchamrit' -- a mixture of honey, liquid jaggery, milk, yoghurt and ghee -- was distributed as 'prasad' to the worshippers. An 'aarti', a Hindu ritual, was also performed.

Bharadwaj told PTI by phone that the Mahasabha had sought permission of the district administration to construct a temple to Godse on November 09 which was denied.

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He said now the 'temple' has been established at its office. "Nobody should have any objection to this as we have set up the temple in our own space. It is Mahasabha's own property," Bharadwaj said, adding Godse had once stayed there for a week.

Godse, he said, was a great nationalist, who was against the division of the country.

"Godse's ashes are still kept in Pune. According to Godse's last wish, his ashes will be immersed only when his dream of Akhand Bharat (undivided India) is fulfilled," he added.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Hindu Mahasabha VP, Narayan Sharma, said that the youth of today had no knowledge of the history of India.

"This temple has been established to educate the new generation about India's freedom struggle and who all sacrificed their lives and took necessary steps to (fight for) it," he added.

Sharma also said four political parties helped them to establish the temple.

Speaking of the Godse temple, Sharma said, "In 1947, the British told (Mahatma) Gandhi that they would leave India, but talks of partition began. The Akhil Hindu Mahasabha protested against it."

He added that the huge protests encouraged Gandhi to say that the partition of India and Pakistan would be done over his dead body.

"But both Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to become prime ministers. So (Mahatma) Gandhi went ahead with the partition, and during the process of partition, lakhs of Hindus were killed and their dead bodies were sent to India. Nathuram Godse, who was a hardcore Hindu, could not see it and hence, killed (Mahatma) Gandhi," Sharma said.

Sharma added the temple was established on their property and "nobody can change or touch our personal opinions."

The Congress, however, took offence and demanded that a sedition case is registered against the outfit.

"This is a conspiracy to disgrace the Father of the Nation. On the one hand, Mahatma's statue is burnt in Morena, while on the other, the Hindu Mahasabha has established the temple of Bapu's killer in Gwalior. We demand that a case of sedition be filed against these people," Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Singh said.

Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia was also critical of the development.

"A temple of Bapu's killer is being established just under the nose of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who pretended to be fasting using the name of Gandhiji. This is a shameful and condemnable act," Scindia tweeted.

The BJP, however, said Congress should desist from claiming sole ownership of the Mahatma.

"Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is the legacy of this country and the Congress should not try to claim sole ownership to him. If anybody has violated the law and the Constitution, such activity would come under the purview of the law," state BJP's spokesperson Rajnish Jain told PTI.

He said the BJP had adopted Gandhian socialism and economic policies as its fundamental principles at the time of its foundation. He said the Modi government set itself several important targets to mark the Mahatma's 150th birth anniversary.

Police have taken cognisance of the issue and the superintendent of police of Gwalior has been asked to look into it.

"The issue has come to our knowledge. Gwalior SP is looking into the matter and action would be taken after obtaining a legal opinion. Police are on alert to deal with any incident," IG (Intelligence), Police Headquarters, Makrand Deoskar told news agency PTI.

Nathuram Vinayak Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, shooting him in the chest three times at point-blank range in New Delhi on January 30, 1948.

After a trial widely covered by the press worldwide, the Mahatma's killer and an accomplice were hanged till death on November 15, 1949.

(With Agency inputs)