Rajnath Singh directs states to act against Godse fans; Hindu Mahasabha calls Gandhi's assassin 'hero'

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has distanced his party from those eulogising Nathuram Godse.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asked state governments to act against “Godse worshippers”.

In Parliament, Singh said: "How can anyone worship Nathuram Godse?"

Distancing his party from those eulogising Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, the Home Minister said that the Centre has never stopped any state from taking action against such people.

On Friday, the Hindu Mahasabha members said that Godse will always be their hero and they are not afraid of any action against them.

"If we will not chant our party leader's name, who else would we hail? Nathuram Godse will always be our hero. It is due to him that India was not divided into more parts. And what wrong did he do by killing Mahatma Gandhi? Gandhi is not India and so hailing Godse does not make us anti-nationalists," said Bharat Rajput, district president, Hindu Mahasabha.

The government has been facing a tough time in Parliament as opposition members have been raising the issue of what they called "hate and inflammatory" speeches by BJP MPs and legislators in different parts of the country.