FAQs on Nathuram Godse

Ans. A Pune born Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member who shot Mahatma Gandhi dead on Jan 30, 1948 at a prayer meeting in Delhi. He was deeply influenced by Veer Savarkar, a Hindu ideologue.

Q2. Why did he kill Gandhi?

Ans. In his school days, Godse respected Gandhi but later developed hatred for him as he thought that he was "biased" towards Muslims. He held him responsible for the partition of India.

Godse was sentenced to death on Nov 8, 1949 and was hanged a week later. He was the first man to be executed in the Independent India. Along with him, Narayan Apte, was also hanged for plotting the assassination.

Q3. What was his education?

Ans. He was a high-school dropout and became an activist with Hindu nationalist organisations such as the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS, the parental ideologue of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Q4. What was his family background?

Ans. He was the son of a post office employee named Vinayak Vamanrao Godse. His mother's name was Lakshmi.