Gandhi wrote in his weekly Harijan that the earth-quake was god’s punishment for the practice of untouchability. Poet Tagore ridiculed the superstitious conclusion. Several other leaders in the Congress too criticized Gandhi for his unscientific and illogical comment on the natural calamity. 

The most provoked were the conservative Hindus who did not like Gandhi in his support to the ‘untouchable’ depressed classes. And there was fear among the people if Gandhi would be attacked and so the police took necessary precautionary measures to protect Gandhi.

On reaching back to his Ashram in Wardha Gandhi undertook another fast for seven days and he explained that he did this to purify his own soul. He was quite unhappy to find general carelessness among even the congressmen in spinning and wearing the handspun clothes.