Gandhi’s assassination was an unfortunate end to the life of a man who had completely dedicated himself to the material emancipation, as well as the spiritual freedom of all Indians. However, unlike we remember Gandhi as the ‘Father of the Nation’, many people immediately after India’s independence harboured strong feelings of resentment and anger against him. They were mostly religious fundamentalists.

This failed attempt, on the flipside, gave other miscreants encouragement to advance their plots against Gandhi. One such group of notorious people included RSS members Nathuram Godse, his brother Gopal Vinayak Godse and co-conspirator Narayan Apte. They believed that Gandhi was responsible for the Partition of India because he favoured the Muslim League and let them create a separate nation for themselves.

Narayan Apte and Nathuram were hanged in the Ambala jail for the assassination. Gopal Vinayak Godse was arrested on February 5, 1948. He was ordered a sentence of 18 years in jail for his role in plotting Gandhi’s assassination. However, he never regretted any of his actions. Even after he was released from jail, Gopal Vinayak Godse authored books on the assassination and continued to be an active member of the Hindu Mahasabha until his death in 2005.