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Hindu Mahasabha leader Pooja Shakun arrested by the UP police for shooting at Mahatma Gandhi Effigy

Hindu Mahasabha leader Pooja Shakun arrested by the UP police for shooting at Mahatma Gandhi Effigy

Aligarh police on Wednesday, February 5, arrested Hindu Mahasabha’s national secretary Pooja Shakun Pandey and her husband Ashok Pandey from Tappal, for recreating Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Prior to this, five people were arrested for allegedly burning effigy of Mahatma Gandhi January 30.

In a video posted by the outfit on Facebook, the leader of the right-wing group was seen shooting at Gandhi’s effigy with an artificial gun, after which blood started flowing from the effigy.  Day which is observed as ‘Martyr’s Day’ to commemorate Gandhi’s death anniversary. The Hindu Mahasabha leader also garlanded the statue of Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who had shot dead Gandhi in 1948.

Earlier, five people were arrested for allegedly burning an effigy of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary.  Pandey, her husband and 12 others have been booked under section 147,148,149, 295A and 153A for rioting, promoting enmity and disharmony among sections of society.

The group around her can be heard chanting “Mahatma Nathuram Godse is immortal” and “Victory to All India Hindu Mahasabha”. The incident took place in the city of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, and according to media reports, the group later garlanded an effigy of Godse and distributed sweets to ‘commemorate’ the assassination.

This was not the first time the Hindu Mahasabha has tried to glorify Nathuram Godse. In 2015, the group’s leader, Swami Pranavananda had announced plans to install statues of Nathuram Godse across six districts of Karnataka. He also described the assassin as a “patriot” who had worked with the blessings of Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse had shot three bullets at Gandhi in Delhi, resulting in his death. Ever since the day has been observed in India as Martyrs’ Day.

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