Congress leader K.C. Venugopal.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The Congress on Thursday (February 27, 2025) said the Narendra Modi government must reverse the decision to promote to the post of Dean a faculty member of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut, who had praised Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse.
“Time and time again, the BJP shows its true colours. This decision is a clear endorsement of her [the faculty member’s] anti-Gandhi views, and it is their way of promoting Godse and mainstreaming his hate-filled agenda in our public discourse,” Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said in a post on X.
“Such people who hold appreciation for the killers of Mahatma Gandhi deserve no place in public life, let alone be promoted to positions of responsibility in national institutes. This decision must be reversed,” Mr. Venugopal added.
His party colleague and Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said the move reflected the government’s mindset to “appropriate Gandhi but glorify Godse”.
“A former judge of the Calcutta Court High Court could not choose between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse. He is now a BJP MP. A Professor in Kerala who publicly says she is proud of Godse for saving India is made a Dean in NIT-Calicut by the Modi govt. This is all part of the Modi mindset — Appropriate Gandhi, Glorify Godse,” Mr. Ramesh said.
In an order issued by the Director of NIT-Calicut, Shaija A. was appointed as the Dean of the Planning and Development Department, with effect from March 7.
Ms. Shaija was questioned by the police in February last year following complaints from organisations such as the Youth Congress, the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Students’ Federation of India.
Published – February 27, 2025 10:01 pm IST