Delhi — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounts the global stage as a purported statesman, but in reality he is a right-wing Hindu nationalist.
The political party currently ruling India under Modi is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In addition to the BJP, Modi has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer organization since his early political career.
Why does this matter?
The assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha, a right-wing Hindu nationalist party associated with the RSS. Godse killed Gandhi because he believed Gandhi was too accommodating to Muslims and blamed him for the partition violence.
Godse shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range at a multi-faith prayer meeting in New Delhi in 1948. After a trial that received international attention, he was hung in 1949.
The BJP is considered the political wing that evolved from the ideological and organizational roots of the RSS, which Godse was linked to, though the BJP itself was formally founded later and is a distinct political entity.
Although the RSS has historically distanced itself from Godse’s assassination of Gandhi, the ideological lineage connecting the RSS, Hindu Mahasabha, and BJP is often noted in political analyses.
In recent years, the BJP under Modi has been described as a Hindu nationalist party, and there has been some rebranding and controversial glorification of Godse in certain quarters, reflecting a complex and contested legacy.
Mahatma Gandhi was having an intense conversation with a Congress leader inside Birla House, New Delhi. There were rumored differences between the leader and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which Gandhi wanted to resolve.
As Gandhi walked down a narrow path, between flower pots, suddenly a broad-shouldered man in a khaki shirt and trousers stood in front of Gandhi and impeded his path. He folded his hands, looked directly into Gandhi’s eyes and said, “Namaste.”
Godse took two steps back, pulled out a Beretta M 1934 semi-automatic pistol and fired three shots from point-blank range, at Gandhi’s chest and stomach.
Gandhi fell backwards and said, “Ram-Ram.”
A young vice-consul at the new American embassy in Delhi who was present immediately grabbed Godse. Soon, he was taken away by the police.
Modi – A Right-wing Hindu Nationalist with Ties to Gandhi Assassin (May 2, 2025)
