Nathuram Godse’s statue installation thwarted in Tamil Nadu says CM O Panneerselvam

Chennai: Efforts by Hindu Mahasabha to install statues of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, were thwarted in Tamil Nadu with the state government refusing to grant permission, the state Assembly was informed on Friday.

Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said two divisions of the Hindu fringe group had announced that they will install the statues at 13 places in the state on January 31 last, which was opposed by political parties and religious groups.

Indian National League (Tada Raheem division) had threatened to install statues of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru if the Mahasabha was allowed to install the statues of Godse, he said during the debate on the Governor's address to the House.

"With (respective) district administration and police not allowing permission, statues (of Godse) were not installed on January 31, 2015 as announced by them. The situation is being closely monitored," he said.

Responding to a mention by Manithaneya Makkal Katchi member M H Jawahirullah about damage caused to a wall of a dargah in Tiruvarur District recently, Panneerselvam said it happened following a jostling between two groups of Hindus and Muslims after the latter objected to some slogan-shouting by the others while crossing another dargah.

In the melee, streetlights were damaged and a group later damaged the wall of the dargah but police acted swiftly and intervened and prevented any clash between the two communities, the Chief Minister said, adding that 15 persons were arrested.