Chants of ‘long live Godse’ as Gurgaon anti-namaz extremists take out march

A group of right-wing extremists, including radical Hindutva leaders, marched through Gurgaon on Friday, hailing Nathuram Godse and demanding the release of Kalicharan Maharaj, who was arrested for making derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi.

The march was led by Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, legal adviser of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, which has been protesting every Friday against Muslim prayers being held in public spaces in Gurgaon.

Mahavir Bhardwaj, state president of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti-Haryana, who had attended the ‘Dharam Sansad’ in Haridwar where several participants, including Maharaj, had delivered hate speeches, was also in the crowd of 50-plus protesters.

The protesters chanted “Nathuram Godse amar rahe” and “Godse saved the nation”, and called for violence. They gathered near the deputy commissioner’s residence at Civil Lines before marching to the DC’s office amid heavy police presence.

“We vigorously support the remarks made by Sant Kalicharan against Gandhi and condemn how the Chhattisgarh government has arrested him. When the country was partitioned on the basis of religion, why did Gandhi not oppose it? This country will never forgive Gandhi for his role in accepting the division of the country. The Hindu society has woken up and we will not accept any insult to our saints,” Bhardwaj said.

Bhardwaj was suspended from the BJP for anti-party activities in 2020 and has been leading protests against namaz in open spaces in Gugaon’s Sector 47 and Sector 12. He was among the 26 people arrested on October 29 for attempting to disrupt namaz at Sector 12 A, and later released on bail.

Bhardwaj, who had attended the Haridwar event, said, called Maharaj’s arrest an “insult” and a “challenge” to Hindus. 

The protesters also demanding action against AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and declared a reward of ₹22 lakh to “any police officer in the country who would arrest him”. 

They accused Owaisi of “threatening and inciting Hindus in his speeches”.

Ved Prakash, SHO, Civil Lines, said: “A group of people marched to the DC office and handed over a memorandum. The situation was peaceful. We have not received any complaint regarding the alleged sloganeering at the march and no suo motu action has been taken.”