MCQ Detailed View

Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s non-violent independence movement, was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist.

Godse, who was associated with extremist Hindu organizations, held Gandhi responsible for policies that he believed favored Muslims during and after the partition of India in 1947. Gandhi’s commitment to peace, communal harmony, and his fasts to stop Hindu-Muslim violence were opposed by radicals who thought he was too conciliatory towards Muslims.

On that day, Gandhi was on his way to a prayer meeting at Birla House in New Delhi when Godse approached and shot him three times at point-blank range. The assassination shocked the world, leading to widespread mourning across India and abroad. Godse was later tried and executed for the crime.

Key facts about Gandhi’s assassination:

• Date: 30 January 1948


• Location: Birla House, New Delhi, India


• Assassin: Nathuram Godse


• Affiliation: Hindu nationalist extremist groups


• Motive: Belief that Gandhi was too accommodating to Muslims during partition


• Consequence: Godse was captured immediately and executed in 1949


• Impact: Gandhi’s death was a major blow to India’s unity and the global peace movement

For exam preparation: Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, on 30 January 1948.