It has been 60 years since Gandhi was assassinated by Naduram Vinayak Godse. Regardless of how you view Gandhi's politics and his role in India's struggle for independence, the undeniable truth is that Godse is a religious extremist and a killer. BBC has an article on this. Excerpts:n the communally charged atmosphere during India's Partition in August 1947, Godse and his accomplices held Mahatma Gandhi responsible for the miseries of the Hindus and accused him of appeasing Muslims.
Right-wing Hindu nationalist organisations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, (Nationalist Volunteers' Organisation) were banned and many of its leaders were sent to jail following the assassination of Gandhi.
The RSS is the ideological fountainhead of India's main opposition party BJP.
'Selfless act'
Nathuram Godse was later tried and hanged but the RSS was exonerated and the government decided to lift the ban on its activities.
Even though the RSS publicly rejects Nathuram Godse, its leaders don't hide their appreciation for what they call his "selfless act".
"We will have to accept that Nathuram Godse acted with selfless spirit; he did not have any self-interest in it. He must also have been aware that he would be hanged for what he was going to do. This spirit cannot be denied," RSS ideologue Devendra Swaroop told the BBC.
"But he was wrong if he thought that Gandhiji was taking history in a wrong direction and by killing him he could correct the course of history," adds Mr Swaroop.
"RSS firmly believes that Godse acted at the spur of the moment and it was quite detrimental for the Hindu society. Gandhi dead proved to be stronger than Gandhi alive."
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