Goa stalls release of Godse book amid protest

The BJP-led government in Goa on Friday disallowed the use of its premises for the scheduled release of a book on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse on the occasion of the former’s death anniversary on Saturday amid a protest by a local political outfit and to possibly avoid a potential controversy.

However, Anup Sardesai, the writer of the book titled Nathuram Godse - The Story of an Assassin, said he would go ahead with its release at a different venue.

In a late evening communication to the state-run Ravindra Bhavan in Mar-gao, the venue of the rel-ease, south district collector Pramod Shinde asked its management not to allow release of the book.

Mr Sardesai said, “I received an email from Ravindra Bhavan stating that the venue will not be allowed to be used for the release of the book due to unavoidable circumstances.”

He said he would proceed with the release at a different venue.

“I will inform about the venue to my audience. I have also informed the police about the new venue,” Mr Sardesai said.

Earlier in the day, Goa Forward, launched by former state election commissioner Prabhkar Timble recently, opposed letting of the government premises for the release of the book which it termed as an “un-patriotic cause”.