AHMEDABAD: The Congress in Gujarat on Wednesday approached the police and demanded that people who installed Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse's bust in Jamnagar be treated as "anti-nationals" and booked under the sedition law "in the interest of the country's integrity".
A delegation of senior Congress leaders, MLAs and party workers met state Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia and submitted a memorandum, which stated that installing the bust of the man who murdered Gandhi was an attempt to attack the country's integrity and was like an act of terrorism.
"In the interest of the country's integrity, request you to take action against people behind this under sedition law," the memorandum read.
A group of people from a right-wing outfit Hindu Sena had on Monday installed the bust, which some Congress members demolished on Tuesday.
Police arrested seven persons from both sides on charges of promoting enmity.
"It is a matter of shame that such a thing is happening in the Gujarat of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. Gandhi is celebrated the world over for this non-violence, and dedicated his entire life to fight for the country's freedom," Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki told reporters after meeting the DGP.
"People who are behind this despicable act of installing the bust of the murderer of Mahatma Gandhi should be booked under sedition law, because this is an anti-national act.
This is what we have demanded from the DGP," he said.
Godse's bust was installed by members of the Hindu Sena, a right-wing outfit led by Jamnagar-based lawyer Pratik Bhatt, in an open ground of a small temple-cum-ashram on Jamnagar city outskirts, said inspector of Jamnagar 'A' division police station, Mahavir Jalu.
Upon learning about the bust installation, president of Jamnagar city Congress Digubha Jadeja reached the spot along with party colleague Dhaval Nanda and demolished it.
Based on the complaints submitted by Bhatt and Jadeja, police have lodged cross-complaints under section 153A of the IPC for promoting enmity between different groups.