Savarkar helped Godse find 'efficient gun' to kill Mahatma Gandhi, claims Tushar Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi has claimed freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had helped Nathuram Godse find an ”efficient gun” to assassinate the Father of the Nation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra termed Tushar Gandhi’s comments as unfounded.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Tushar Gandhi said, ”Savarkar not only helped the British, he also helped Nathuram Godse find an efficient gun to murder Bapu. Till two days before Bapu’s murder (on January 30, 1948), Godse did not have a reliable weapon to carry out the murder of M K Gandhi.” The activist-author also claimed Prabodhankar Thackeray, the father of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and grandfather of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, had forewarned the Mahatma’s companions about a plot to kill the Father of the Nation.

In this context, Tushar Gandhi went on to criticise ”leaders of Sanatani Hindus” Savarkar and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

”When in 1930s several attempts were made on Bapu’s life, Prabodhankar Thackeray forewarned Bapu’s companions about a plot to kill Bapu in Akola, Vidarbha and saved Bapu’s life. He then issued a public warning to Sanatani Hindu organisations and their leadership in Maharashtra to desist from their murderous attacks on Bapu,” he tweeted.

”Savarkar and Hedgewar were leaders of Sanatani Hindus thus Prabodhankar’s warning was addressed to them, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) must be reminded of this bit of their history,” he further said.

Asked about Tushar Gandhi’s remarks, BJP state spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “The court had given its verdict in this case (Mahatma Gandhi assassination) and acquitted Savarkar of such charges. Still, some people like to mislead the society by making such unfounded comments against Savarkar.” The activist-author’s critical comments on Savarkar came days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during the Maharashtra leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, alleged the Hindutva ideologue had helped the British and written a mercy petition to them out of fear while in jail.

Rahul Gandhi’s statements on the freedom fighter, made last week, had invited criticism from leaders of the BJP as well the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).