A century after his birth, Ashok Singhal — the man who became the most recognisable face of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement — drew a standing tribute in Gurugram on Sunday, 27 September 2026, as Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini joined the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Haryana's birth centenary year celebrations and offered his heartfelt homage.

Saini, posting in Hindi, called Singhal's life a source of inspiration for all: 'राष्ट्र, धर्म और समाज की सेवा के लिए श्रद्धेय अशोक सिंघल जी का समर्पित जीवन हम सभी के लिए प्रेरणास्रोत है' — ('The dedicated life of revered Ashok Singhal Ji, in service of the nation, faith, and society, is an inspiration for all of us.')

A life described as 'more than one man'

Saini went further than a routine salute. In his post, he framed Singhal's life not merely as a personal biography but as 'ek vichar aur sadhana ki yatra' — a journey of thought and spiritual discipline — one that, in his words, 'will continue to inspire generations to come.' The language was deliberate: it cast Singhal's legacy as a living ideological inheritance rather than a closed chapter.

Singhal, who passed away in 2015, served for decades as a senior leader of the VHP, the Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964. He was most prominently associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign of the 1980s and 1990s — a movement that ultimately culminated, years after his death, in the consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. For the VHP and ideologically aligned political formations, his centenary year carries significant symbolic weight.

BJP's consistent alignment with RSS-affiliated commemorations

BJP state leaders have made a consistent practice of appearing at events organised by RSS-affiliated bodies such as the VHP — a pattern that signals shared ideological roots and reinforces ties with the Sangh Parivar's broader activist base. Chief Minister Saini's presence at the Gurugram event fits squarely within this tradition, lending the state government's formal imprimatur to a tribute that carries both religious and political resonance in Haryana, a state where the BJP secured a second consecutive term in 2024.

The VHP has been rolling out centenary programmes across multiple states during this birth centenary year, with Haryana's event forming one node in a wider national calendar of commemorations. Whether further high-profile state participation follows in upcoming events will signal how prominently the BJP chooses to anchor itself to Singhal's legacy heading into the next political cycle.

For a movement that spent decades in agitation, the centenary of its most prominent mobiliser — marked now in government halls rather than on the streets — is itself a statement about where power currently resides.