MUMBAI, July 15: Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy, a Marathi play glorifying Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, came under sharp focus nationally today when some Congress members raised the issue in Rajya Sabha amid stray demands in Mumbai to ban the play.Vyalar Ravi raised the matter demanding action against those who had staged the drama. He was later joined by fellow Congressmen Pranab Mukherjee and H Hanumanthappa. While BJP members objected saying that the issue could be raised during zero hour, Chairman Krishna Kant promised to look into the matter. The question hour could be taken up only after Home Minister L K Advani assured the House that the government would take appropriate action.Playing at Shivaji Mandir in Mumbai, the play has raised some hackles in the city too. For one, Mahatma's great-grandson is preparing to initiate action against the play's producer. ``I have not seen the play nor do I intend to,'' he said today. He felt the play's staging was the handiwork of some RSS andHindu Mahasabha activists. ``They waited for the right opportunity to stage the play with the right kind of political support behind them,'' he said and added that he was working in the direction of giving an appropriate answer .Nalini Pandit, author of critically acclaimed book, Gandhi, agreed with Tushar Gandhi. She said such plays were being staged with the tacit support of the Hindu nationalist government. She particularly objected to the usage `Vadh' to describe Mahatma Gandhi's killing in the play.Playwright Vijay Tendulkar, however, thought it all just boiled down to a question of freedom of expression. ``I don't think the play should be banned. Nothing should be banned, anyway. Ultimately, the audience decides the fate of a play. And if there is an audience for a particular play, it should be staged,'' he said, adding that a ban would unnecessarily popularise the production.Renowned actor, Prabhakar Panshikar, who was on the Censor Board when the play came up for scrutiny 12years ago, had suggested that while there not be a ban on the play, it should be stalled for some time. ``Even today, I think the play should be viewed objectively. Nathuram Godse should be viewed as a historical character. Almost 50 years after Gandhiji's assassination, a play on Godse should be treated dispassionately,'' he said. Theatre personality, Mohan Wagh, goes a step further. ``I am not concerned about who killed who and why. The main thing here is to find out if the play is good in the context of dialogues, acting and direction. If it fits the bill then it is a good play and there is no reason why it should be banned.'' Adds Madhu Deolekar, former BJP member, ``Every point of view must find an expression. This is just a manifestation of an individual's freedom of expression in a democracy; it must not be curbed as long as it does not violate any law.''Meanwhile, Uday Dhurat, producer of the play, has filed a caveat petition in the high court in response to reports in certain sections of the pressthat eminent Gandhian Usha Mehta had threatened to stage a dharna protesting against the staging of the play.
