SP leader Beni Prasad Verma slams RSS over Mahatma Gandhi's assassination

Barabanki (UP): Former union minister and Samajwadi Party MP Beni Prasad Verma on Saturday attacked the RSS over the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, days after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said he stood by every word he said about people associated with the Sangh who were behind the killing of the Father of the Nation.

"When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, its (RSS) workers were told in advance to keep their radio sets on for they will get to hear good news..." Verma told newspersons after a programme to distribute tri-cycles to the handicapped in Bardari village.

"Sweets were distributed at the RSS headquarters after assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel (the home minister) had to ban the organisation," he said, claiming that police nabbed an RSS worker who admitted that they were asked to keep their radio sets on at 12 noon on that day for hearing the "good news".

Read: RSS ideologue calls for apology from Rahul for 'RSS killed Gandhi' remark

The 75-year-old former minister also referred to a purported "written communication" between jailed RSS leader Golwalkar and Sardar Patel with the latter citing distribution of sweets as the biggest evidence against them.

Verma, who returned to Samajwadi Party recently after "feeling suffocated" in the Congress, said Rahul Gandhi was facing a case on this issue. "These people indulge in acts for which evidence cannot be found easily," he said last night.

His remarks have come close on the heels of RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya asking Rahul to come up with evidence to back his claim that the RSS was responsible for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

"It's court which will decide the matter, not Rahul Gandhi. When an RSS volunteer has challenged him in the court, he is running away. If he has any evidence in support of his claims, he should present them before Judiciary," Vaidya had said, adding, "RSS had no connection with Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. There is no mention of Sangh in the charge sheet and the accused did not even mention the name of RSS".

Rahul recently told the Supreme Court that he stood by every word of his statement against RSS for killing of Mahatma Gandhi and was ready to face trial before a Maharashtra court which had issued a summons to him as an accused in the case.

The Congress vice president had made the statement at an election rally in 2015. He would now face trial in a Bhiwandi court in Maharashtra where a defamation case has been filed.