Hindu Mahasabha announces Godse temple

Lucknow: The Samajwadi government in Uttar Pradesh is caught in a bind over the announcement of the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha that it would build a temple for Nathuram Godse — assassin of Mahatma Gandhi — in Sitapur district.

The Mahasabha spokesman said in an interview to a daily on Monday that it had bought land in Para village in Sidhauli, where it plans to begin the temple construction on January 30, the day Gandhi was shot dead.

The land identified for the temple belongs to one Kamlesh Tiwari, who claims to be the working president of Hindu Mahasabha.

Interestingly, the Mahasabha is mired in internal bickering, with many members claiming to be real office-bearers.

“We cannot directly impose a ban since the temple is to be constructed on private land, but allowing that would lead to unrest,” said a senior official.