NEW DELHI: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday lashed out at those who glorified Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse on the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, saying they are irresponsibly shaming the country and should be named and shamed publicly.
"India has always been a spiritual superpower, but it is the Mahatma who articulated our nation's spiritual underpinnings through his being & gave us a moral authority that remains our greatest strength even today.
Those tweeting 'Godse zindabad' are irresponsibly shaming the nation," Varun Gandhi, who is not related to Mahatma Gandhi, said.
The "lunatic fringe" must not be allowed to enter the mainstream, he added.
"We must not forget the respect that India has internationally is because of Mahatma Gandhi and the ideals that he represented. The people who are tweeting 'Godse Zindabad' should be named and shamed publicly. The lunatic fringe must not be allowed to enter the mainstream," he said.
The Lok Sabha member's comments came amid "Nathuram Godse Zindabad" (long live Nathuram Godse) being among the top Twitter trends on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
A section of right wingers have often posted comments eulogising the man, who shot dead Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948, especially on the days linked to India's most famous freedom fighter.