Have proof Nathuram Godse never left RSS, says grandnephew

Satyaki Savarkar, the grandson of Nathuram Godse’s brother Gopal Godse, has claimed that neither was Nathuram Godse ever sacked from the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) nor did he ever leave the organisation. The claim assumed significance in the light of claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that ‘RSS people’ were involved in Mahatma Gandhi’s killing. Godse was convicted for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. However, Mr Savarkar said that though his granduncle did commit the murder, it would be wrong to say that the RSS was responsible for the same. “Nathuram Godse had been a part of the RSS till his death. He never ever left the RSS. Neither did the RSS ask him to leave the sangh nor was he thrown out for any reason. The organisation did not have a policy to fire people,” said Mr Savarkar, who is also the great grandson of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, more commonly known as Veer Savarkar. Mr Savarkar’s mother, Himani, is the daughter of Gopal Godse.

He said, “I have documents that prove Godse never left the RSS. He joined the RSS in 1932 at Sangli Shakha and had worked as a boudhik karyavahak (intellectual executive officer) till 1942. In 1942, he founded his own organisation called the Hindu Rashtra Dal. But he did not resign from the RSS.”

Mr Savarkar — who works as technical support engineer at a software firm in Pune, and is also a treasurer of Akhil Bharat Hindu Sabha, Pune chapter — added: “Even the Kapoor Commission, which was constituted in 1964 to inquire into the conspiracy of the murder of Gandhi, had said in its report that he was associated with the RSS till his death.”

Mr Savarkar, incidentally, isn’t a member of the RSS. Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s claims, Mr Savarkar said that the leader was playing politics by making vague statements.