‘Godse’ no longer an unparliamentary word: Speaker

Parliament had banned the use of the word in 1956. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi.

Except when it is uttered in reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse, the word “Godse” per se will no longer be considered unparliamentary when uttered in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, Lok Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has ruled.

Mahajan is learnt to ruled that the “name ‘Godse’ as a surname per se cannot be said to be unparliamentary” and that it will considered unparliamentary “only in reference to Nathuram Godse”. Lok Sabha sources told The Indian Express that whenever the book containing unparliamentary words is published afresh, the word “Nathuram” will be added to the word “Godse” in it.

The move follows a representation by Shiv Sena MP from Nashik Hemant Godse — first reported by The Indian Express on March 14 — who had approached the offices of the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman asking them to remove his surname from the list of unparliamentary words with immediate effect.

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Hemant Godse’s request was prompted by Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker P J Kurien’s decision to expunge the word “Godse” from the House’s proceedings during the last winter session. Kurien had pointed out that the word was unparliamentary when CPM’s P Rajeeve raised the Hindu Mahasabha’s plan to install busts of Nathuram Godse in various locations.

It was in April 1956 that the word “Godse” was declared unparliamentary and expunged on the directions of the then Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Sardar Hukam Singh when the House was debating the States Reorganisation Bill.

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