The Madhya Pradesh Police on Tuesday seized the statue of Nathuram Godse installed at the office of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha in Gwalior, ANI reported. The shrine was set up at the office on November 15 to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin.

The district administration had served the Hindu group a show cause notice, calling the installation of the bust illegal, News18 reported. When the organisation did not respond to the notice, the collector ordered that the statue be removed.

Members of Mahasabha had locked the office to stop officials from entering. But the police broke the door down and seized the bust before sealing the room.

Hindu Mahasabha Vice President Jaiveer Bharadwaj had earlier said that Godse had stayed at the group’s office in Gwalior the week before he shot Gandhi dead in Delhi. He had said the temple was meant to create awareness among the youth as the events surrounding Godse’s life were “often distorted”.

The Congress had called it “an anti-national act”.