NEW DELHI: Indian native Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (Jan 30) paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi , the freedom movement leader who was shot dead in point-blank range by a religious extremist 75 years ago.
“I bow to Bapu on his punya tithi (death anniversary) and recall their profound thoughts, ” Modi tweeted in front of taking part in a ceremony in New Delhi.
“I also pay homage to all those who have been martyred in the service in our nation. Their surrender will never be overlooked and will keep conditioning our resolve to operate for a developed Indian, ” he added.
The passing away anniversary of Gandhi, who is widely known in India as “Bapu” (“father”), is also noticed as Martyrs’ Time in the country.
Gandhi was assassinated at a multi-faith prayer conference in January 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a religious zealot irked by Gandhi’s conciliatory gestures for the country’s Muslim group.
Modi offers regularly paid respects to Gandhi, often visiting his spiritual retreat with international dignitaries including previous United States president Jesse Trump, and talking about his legacy.
But Modi has refrained from commenting on efforts by Hindu nationalists to rehabilitate and honor Godse, who was performed in 1949.
Some have conducted reenactments of the killing using an effigy associated with Gandhi.
Modi’s government has also championed the work of Hindu ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who is generally known as Godse’s mentor.
Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi told AFP last week that, below Modi, Godse’s views are seeing a worrying resonance in India.
“That whole philosophy has now captured India and Indian hearts, the particular ideology of hate, the ideology of polarisation, the ideology of divisions, ” he told AFP at his Mumbai home.
“There is no denying that will in his heart, (Modi) also knows what he is doing is certainly lighting a fire that will one day consume Indian itself, ” the particular 63-year-old added.