The Uttar Pradesh police has recommended that the Hindu Mahasabha be sealed for encroaching the land of a temple trust and "illegally" setting up its office on the encroached land.
The move comes even as the Hindutva group had last month announced that it would build a temple for Nathuram Godse, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, in its Meerut office premise and also at different places in the country.
The Hindutva outfit had last month performed bhumi pujan in its office premise to build a temple for Godse after which the local administration booked its main workers under sections of IPC.
BN Yadav, inspector of Barahmpuri police station in Meerut sent a report to the Sub Divisional Magistrate declaring that the property has become controversial as the Hindu Mahasabha wanted to build a temple for Godse on a land which belonged to the local trust.
The police officer recommended that the office be sealed as soon as possible as the issue could become a law and order problem.
"The local office bearer of Hindu Mahasabha, pandit Ashok Sharma, who also used to be the priest of the Krishna temple, encroached the land in front of the temple and declared it the office of Hindu Mahasbha," said Mr. Yadav.
"I have recommended to the SDM that the property encroached by the Hindu Mahasabha office-bearer be sealed till the case against the office bearers be decided by the court," the police officer told The Hindu .
Mr. Sharma, however, denied the police claim and said it was "witch hunting" by the state government.
"Let the police put roadblocks in our plans. We will legally challenge their move because installing statue of a martyr is not illegal by any interpretation of the law," said Mr. Sharma.
He declared that the Mahasabha would install a Godse statue "at any cost.".
