NEW DELHI: Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey who was recently sacked by BHU on charges of being a "Naxalite" today came out in support of JNU students and said he he can never "forgive" the Hindu nationalists for killing Gandhi.
"Despite my disagreements with all the things that they do, I could still forgive them. However, I cannot forgive them for killing Gandhi," Pandey said while addressing the students at JNU who are agitating against alleged branding of the university as "anti-national".
"Across the world, people know India because of Gandhi and his ideas. Gandhi, the man who fought for the welfare of weaker sections of society. To kill such a person and call themselves 'nationalists' is not right (for the Hindu nationalists)," the self-proclaimed Gandhian said.
The noted social activist was sacked in January by the Banaras Hindu University on charges of being a "Naxalite", engaging in "anti-national" activities and screening a banned documentary on the campus.
Pandey, however, rejected the allegations saying that he still believes there was nothing "anti-national" about any of his activities.
"I invited engineer-turned 'naxal' Prashant Rahi for a lecture so that students may understand the circumstances under which he took such a step.
"Also, I do not see the screening of "India's Daughter" as "anti-national" because it should not have been banned in the first place," Pandey said.
JNU is caught in a row over an event on campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.