Tension in BHU over staging of Nathuram Godse play

Lucknow: The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) remained tense on Thursday after a group of students filed a complaint objecting to a play allegedly celebrating Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, was recently staged on the campus.

The complaint was filed after a video clip of the controversial play Maine Gandhi Ko Kyon Mara, which was staged as part of three-day cultural festival, went viral on social media.

Alleging sedition the students complained to the university authorities and the district administration, seeking action against those who “depicted Godse as a hero and justified Gandhi’s assassination”.

Chief proctor Royana Singh confirmed that she had received a complaint. “I have forwarded the complaint to police as well. We are going to check the facts and probe the allegations of sedition,” she said.

Vikas Singh, state president of NSUI, said, “Nathuram Godse is celebrated as a hero on the campus, which is very unfortunate”. The students said that the play was part of a conspiracy to tarnish Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.