One of the participants seen carrying a poster of Nathuram Godse during the procession of Ganesha in Shivamogga on Friday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The procession of Hindu Mahasabha Ganapati in Shivamogga on Friday evening turned controversial with a poster of Nathuram Godse, who was convicted in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, spotted among a host of posters of Hindutva ideologues that were carried by people participating.
Earlier in the day, Shivamogga district administration had removed the saffron flag that was placed atop the national emblem near the KSRTC bus stand, allegedly by the organisers of Hindu Mahasabha Ganapati Samiti.

Ahead of the procession of Ganesha, the organisers had decorated all prominent traffic junctions that fall along the route of the procession. They decorated circles with saffron buntings and flags. One saffron flag was placed on the statue of four lions, the national emblem, as well.

In the evening, the procession in which hundreds participated and the poster of Godse was spotted, was attended by former minister K.S. Eshwarappa, Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra, BJP councillors, and office-bearers of the Hindu Mahasabha Ganapati Samiti.

After COVID

The procession held on a grand scale after the COVID-19 lockdown attracted a huge crowd. Youths, who were in big numbers, raised slogans praising Shivaji Maharaj and V.D. Savarkar among others. They also carried posters of Savarkar, cine star Puneet Rajkumar, and Hindutva activist Harsha, who was murdered earlier this year.

This story was originally published in thehindu.com . Read the full story here