Pandit Godse a patriot… did not come from Italy: Sena

Shiv Sena has defended Godse,calling him Pandit Nathuram Godse,saying he was a staunch patriot.

Even as a mention of Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse in the souvenir of a recent Marathi literary meet in Thane led to protests by the NCP and Congress workers,forcing the organisers to hastily withdraw it,the Shiv Sena has defended Godse,calling him Pandit Nathuram Godse,on grounds that he was a staunch patriot and was angered by Partition and the subsequent killing of Hindus.

Godse was a staunch patriot. He had not come from Italy. His blood was boiling over Hindustan being divided and the killing of lakhs of Hindus during the Partition, said an editorial in the Sena organ Saamna on Monday.

Again when stuntmen like (NCP MLA) Jitendra Awhad are in a city,such unnecessary controversies are necessary for free publicity, said the editorial,which slammed Awhad for his protests at the Thane venue.

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It charged that the protests were driven by factional disputes within the NCP as legislative council deputy chairperson Vasant Davkhare,who is seen as Avhads rival in the party,was present on the dais.

Of course,it would have been alright if it was not there. But just because it was mentioned,there was no reason for the Congress or the NCP to get so upset. No one glorified Nathuram as the assassin of Gandhiji in the souvenir, said the editorial.

Godses work as a writer,litterateur and staunch Hindutvawadi will never be wiped away because he was sentenced to death for killing Gandhi…. No one will justify Gandhis killing, said the editorial,pointing out that

The editorial questioned whether holding such views amounted to sedition and pointed out that Awhad had stood by Ishrat Jahan,the teenager who was killed in a police encounter in 2004 in Gujarat. Later,Pakistani American terrorist David Headley had admitted that Jahan was a Laskhar-e-Toiba operative,the editorial added.