CM Fadnavis, Gadkari attend Ashok Singhal birth centenary event in Nagpur
Synopsis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari joined a Shriram Katha ceremony in Nagpur on 14 November 2026, honouring the birth centenary year of late VHP international president Ashok Singhal. Sadhvi Ritambhara and other dignitaries were also present at the commemorative event.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were the chief guests at a Shriram Katha ceremony in Nagpur on 14 November 2026 .
The event marked the birth centenary year of Ashok Singhal , former international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad , who died in 2015 .
Padma Bhushan awardee Sadhvi Ritambhara was among the prominent attendees, lending a strong devotional dimension to the gathering.
Ashish Jaiswal and MLA Kirtikumar (Bunty) Bhangardia also attended, reflecting cross-section participation from the ruling establishment.
Nagpur , the RSS headquarters and Maharashtra's winter capital, served as the venue — underscoring the city's centrality to Hindu nationalist commemorative events.
A Shriram Katha (devotional recitation of Lord Ram's story) drew two of Maharashtra's most prominent political figures to Nagpur on 14 November 2026, as the city marked the birth centenary year of Ashok Singhal, the late former international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were the chief guests at the commemorative ceremony, organised to honour Singhal's legacy a century after his birth.
Who was Ashok Singhal, and why a centenary?
Ashok Singhal, who passed away in 2015, served as the international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad — the Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964 — for several decades, becoming one of its most recognisable faces globally. He was a central figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and is widely regarded within Hindu nationalist circles as a defining architect of the VHP's ideological and organisational reach. His birth centenary year has prompted a series of commemorative events across the country.
Nagpur's role as the gathering point
The choice of Nagpur as the venue carries its own weight. The city is both the winter capital of Maharashtra and the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), making it the organisational nerve centre of Hindu nationalist politics in India. For Gadkari, Nagpur is home turf — he has represented the city in Parliament across multiple terms. For Fadnavis, attending such an event in Nagpur reinforces his dual identity as Maharashtra's chief executive and a committed participant in the broader Sangh ecosystem.
Sadhvi Ritambhara and the spiritual dimension
Adding a devotional register to the political presence was Padma Bhushan awardee Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara, the Hindu activist and spiritual leader whose oratory has long been central to VHP-aligned gatherings. State Minister Adv. Ashish Jaiswal and MLA Kirtikumar (Bunty) Bhangardia were also present, rounding out an assembly that bridged elected government and religious organisation.
The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra posted about the event at 8:55 PM IST, noting the gathering had taken place at 5:50 PM — a rare evening political-religious crossover that underscores how seamlessly such commemorations are folded into the official calendar of the state government.
With the VHP's centenary calendar for Singhal likely to extend across the year, Nagpur's role as the symbolic and logistical anchor for such events is only set to grow.
Point of View
As the RSS headquarters, amplifies the symbolic resonance of such appearances beyond the merely ceremonial. The event also signals how birth-centenary commemorations of ideological figures are being used to reinforce organisational solidarity ahead of what remains a politically active period in Maharashtra. For Fadnavis in particular, the optics of co-presiding with Gadkari — his senior in the Nagpur political ecosystem — at a spiritually framed event reinforces his credentials within both the state and the broader movement.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ashok Singhal and what was his role in the VHP?
Ashok Singhal was the former international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, a Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964. He was a central figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and passed away in 2015, and his birth centenary year is being marked with commemorative events across India.
What is the Shriram Katha event held in Nagpur?
The Shriram Katha is a devotional recitation of Lord Ram's story, organised in Nagpur on 14 November 2026 to honour the birth centenary year of Ashok Singhal, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as chief guests.
Why was the event held in Nagpur?
Nagpur is the headquarters of the RSS and the winter capital of Maharashtra, making it the natural and symbolic centre for Hindu nationalist commemorative events. Both Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis have strong political roots in the city.
Who is Sadhvi Ritambhara and why was she at the event?
Sadhvi Ritambhara is a prominent Hindu activist and spiritual leader who has been awarded the Padma Bhushan. She is closely associated with VHP-aligned gatherings and added a devotional dimension to the Ashok Singhal centenary commemoration in Nagpur.
Does the Maharashtra government officially participate in VHP events?
While there is no formal institutional partnership, BJP leaders including Maharashtra's Chief Minister have a consistent record of attending VHP and RSS-affiliated commemorative events, reflecting the party's sustained engagement with Hindu nationalist organisations.
