Congress workers detained in Rajkot after vandalism at Godse play venue

At least 45 Congress workers were detained in Rajkot on February 7 evening after they allegedly vandalized the set of a Gujarati play centred on Nathuram Godse, hours before it was scheduled to be staged at Hemu Gadhvi Hall.

The play, Hun Nathuram (I, Nathuram), was to begin at 9.15 pm when members of the Congress protested outside the venue, demanding its cancellation. The situation escalated after organizers refused to call off the performance, citing official permissions and a valid censor certificate.

Rajkot Congress president Rajdeepsinh Jadeja, who was leading the protest, said the party objected to the play on ideological grounds. “We approached the trust running the hall and asked them to cancel the play, which attempts to downplay the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. After Porbandar, Rajkot has the strongest association with Gandhiji, as he studied here,” Jadeja was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

According to Jadeja, the organisers declined the request and said they would proceed with police protection. “We informed them that the Congress would protest,” he said, adding that tensions rose once the protest began. “They accused us of hooliganism and thought they could misbehave with us under police protection. The youth became uncontrollable and threw some pipes lying on the stage. Had we staged a silent protest, the play would have gone on,” he said, even as he acknowledged that violence runs counter to Gandhian principles.

Paritosh Painter, the producer and presenter of Hun Nathuram, rejected the allegation that the play glorifies Godse. “We had all permissions in place. Suddenly, a group of 200–300 people arrived and said they would not allow the play because they believed we were portraying Godse as a hero,” Painter said.

“We invited them to watch the performance and decide for themselves. The play is based on a published book and draws from Godse’s statements in court. These are historical facts. We are not passing judgment on whether Godse was right or Gandhi was wrong,” he added.

Police intervened following the disruption and detained 45 Congress workers. Officials said late Saturday evening that an FIR was likely to be registered. Despite the protest, the organizers said the play would continue to be staged in other cities as scheduled.