Gadkari pays tribute to VHP's Ashok Singhal on his birth anniversary
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari offered a respectful tribute to VHP veteran Ashok Singhal on his birth anniversary, calling him the towering figure of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. The gesture reflects a broader BJP tradition of publicly honouring Sangh Parivar leaders.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute to Ashok Singhal on his birth anniversary on September 27, 2026 .
Gadkari described Singhal as 'vishwa Hindu Parishad ke shikhar purush' — the towering figure of the VHP.
Ashok Singhal was a long-serving leader of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and a central figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign .
The VHP was founded in 1964 and operates within the broader Sangh Parivar ecosystem alongside the BJP and RSS.
Senior BJP leaders routinely mark anniversaries of prominent Sangh Parivar figures as part of publicly affirming shared ideological roots.
On the birth anniversary of one of the most consequential figures in the Vishva Hindu Parishad's history, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari offered a respectful tribute to Ashok Singhal on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
Posting on X in Hindi, Gadkari addressed Singhal as 'vishwa Hindu Parishad ke shikhar purush' — 'the towering figure of the Vishva Hindu Parishad' — and offered a 'vinamra abhivadan', or humble salutation, on the occasion of his birth anniversary.
Who was Ashok Singhal?
Ashok Singhal was among the most prominent and long-serving leaders of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964 that operates within the broader Sangh Parivar ecosystem. He served as the VHP's working president and became particularly closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign — the decades-long movement to build a Ram temple at Ayodhya — which placed him at the centre of one of independent India's most consequential socio-religious mobilisations.BJP's tradition of Sangh Parivar remembrance
Gadkari's tribute is part of a well-established pattern among senior BJP leaders, who regularly mark the birth and death anniversaries of prominent Sangh Parivar figures through public messages. For a party that shares deep organisational and ideological roots with the VHP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), these tributes serve as public affirmations of a shared heritage — a reminder to supporters and observers alike of the ideological continuum that runs through India's Hindu nationalist movement. Gadkari himself, a former national president of the BJP and a veteran with long associations within the Sangh ecosystem, is a particularly natural voice for such remembrance.Point of View
These anniversary posts are not merely ceremonial; they signal solidarity with a network of supporters for whom Singhal remains a venerated name. Gadkari, as a former BJP national president with deep Sangh roots, carries particular weight in offering such a tribute. The message lands less as personal nostalgia and more as an organisational statement of belonging.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ashok Singhal?
Ashok Singhal was a senior leader of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) who served as its working president. He is best remembered for his central role in the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign and the movement to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
What is the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)?
The Vishva Hindu Parishad is a Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1964. It is part of the broader Sangh Parivar, which also includes the RSS and BJP, and focuses on religious and cultural issues.
Why did Nitin Gadkari pay tribute to Ashok Singhal?
Gadkari posted the tribute on Ashok Singhal's birth anniversary, calling him the 'towering figure' of the VHP. Senior BJP leaders regularly mark such anniversaries for prominent Sangh Parivar figures.
What did Nitin Gadkari say about Ashok Singhal?
Gadkari addressed Singhal as the 'shikhar purush' — the towering or apex figure — of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and offered him a humble salutation on his birth anniversary.
What is the BJP's connection to the VHP?
The BJP and the VHP are both part of the Sangh Parivar, a family of Hindu nationalist organisations that share ideological and organisational roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
