By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
A new controversy erupted in the Banaras Hindu University after a cultural programme glorified Nathuram Godse, a Hindu hardliner who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
The event named “Sanskriti – 2018” was organised by Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University for three days. On February 20, 2018, a student of Arts faculty — whose identity is not known yet — performed the mono-acting on the infamous statement of Nathuram Godse “Why I killed Gandhi?” A video of the same has surfaced which shows the spectators cheering and expressing joy over the act.
An application against the same has been submitted to Lanka Police station, and to the Vice-Chancellor’s office of the university. Vikas Singh, a member of NSUI and ex-general secretary of BHU’s student council, submitted both the applications on Wednesday. Singh said, “The event was the direct hit on the image of nation’s father Mahatma Gandhi. Godse was a terrorist who killed Gandhi. But in the yesterday’s event, there was a possible attempt to glorify Godse and appropriation of Gandhi’s killing.”
Godse was a convicted-hanged “terrorist, whose glorification amounts to sedition,” said the complaint filed by Vikas Singh.
What raises a question mark over the incident is that the event was pre-planned and controversial act would have been listed before it happened on the stage. Moreover, none of the administrative officials, including the Dean of the Arts faculty, bothered to stop the act. When TwoCircles.net tried to reach dean Prof Shrinivas Pandey, his number was unavailable.
However, Pandey expressed ignorance about this while talking about this to Scroll.in. He said, “Sanskriti is organised by a team with several teachers as coordinators. They pick the items for the programme. I do not know about this and am not in a position to comment.”
Pandey is a well-known supporter of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh—a radical Hindutva organization which had clear associations with Nathuram Godse—and recently rose to fame when he was clicked in an RSS dress ahead of Mohan Bhagwat’s rally in Varanasi.
Prof Royana Singh, the chief proctor of BHU, said that she had just learned about the incident and was not aware of full details. She further said, “If someone found guilty, strict action against them will be taken as per the university rules.”
But most of the professors, as well as administrative officials, are not aware of what happened yesterday in BHU. University’s PRO Rajesh Singh told this reporter, “I do not have any knowledge of this. I am getting to know this from you only. Let me check it,” in spite of the fact that a letter was submitted to VC office in the daytime.
Meanwhile, Vikas Singh has started receiving threat calls after his police complaint. He said, “I have received a couple of calls until now where people are asking me to take back my application, otherwise to be ready for consequences.”