The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested Hindu Mahasabha leader Pooja Shakun Pandey and her husband Ashok Pandey from Uttar Pradesh's Tappal district for recreating the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary on January 30.
"No regrets. We have not committed any crime. We have used our Constitutional right," Pandey told ANI.
Pooja Shakun Pandey is the national secretary of the right-wing Hindu nationalist group.
The Uttar Pradesh police have registered criminal cases against 12 people in connection with the incident.
In a video of the incident which was circulated on social media, the members of the Hindu Mahasabha were seen enacting Mahatma Gandhi's assassination by firing at his effigy before setting it ablaze on his death anniversary on January 30.
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The group later burnt the effigy and shouted pro-Godse slogans like "Mahatma Nathuram Godse Zindabad". Pandey even distributed sweets among her supporters and members of the group.
According to reports, Pandey had also distributed sweets among her supporters and fellow Mahasabha members.
This was not the first time the Hindu Mahasabha has tried to glorify Nathuram Godse. In 2015, the group's leader, Swami Pranavananda had announced plans to install statues of Nathuram Godse across six districts of Karnataka. He also described the assassin as a "patriot" who had worked with the blessings of Hindu nationalist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse had shot three bullets at Gandhi in Delhi, resulting in his death. Ever since the day has been observed in India as Martyrs' Day.
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(With inputs from agencies)
