Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday welcomed Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha leader Babulal Chaurasia into the fold.
Congress has been a vocal critic of the Hindu Mahasabha, who had time and again tried to project Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a 'nationalist' and 'patriotic' figure.
On November 15, 2017, Mahasabha installed an idol of Godse in its office and tried to convert it into a 'temple'. Chaurasia was part of that event.
Offering an explanation, Chaurasia said that he was 'framed' into being part of the event.
"Hindu Mahasabha conspired against me to make me part of that event. I was at the event and they asked me to offer my prayers to all the pictures of great personalities around the hall. Then somebody gestured towards the Godse idol and without realising, I offered water to it. I was framed. They wanted to show that a former Congress member was supporting Godse. I lodged a strong protest after I realised what happened," said the former Hindu Mahasabha leader.
He added that he had been keeping himself away from Hindu Mahasabha's programmes since the event, as his "consciousness did not allow' him to cater to the party's ideology.
However, in another event orgsed on December 11, 2018, Chaurasia was heard saying that he "learned a lot from him (Godse)"
"I was born a Congressman," said Chaurasia, and added, "I had contested and won an election on Congress' ticket. In the next election, my ticket was given to someone else. I was in Delhi at that time and the Hindu Mahasabha chief there asked me to contest the election from his party. I filed for nomination immediately in Delhi itself."
After joining Congress, he said he is 'reunited with his family'. "I was stuck with Hindu Mahasabha," the former Hindu Mahasabha leader added.
Chaurasia had joined the Congress ahead of the Madhya Pradesh civic body elections in presence of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
( With inputs from ANI )
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