BJP Minority Morcha Chief Calls For Bharat Ratna For RSS Founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar
New Delhi: In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Jamal Siddiqui, national president of the BJP Minority Morcha, has urged that Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), be awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously, citing his contributions to India’s freedom struggle and nation-building.
Siddiqui described Hedgewar as a freedom fighter and a visionary who organised society along nationalist lines. He argued that conferring the country’s highest civilian honour would honour Hedgewar’s sacrifices and inspire younger generations.
Hedgewar, born on April 1, 1889, in Nagpur, established the RSS in 1925. His organisation’s centenary is to be celebrated this October.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to be the chief guest at the centennial celebrations, during which a commemorative stamp and coin will be released in honour of the RSS’s legacy.
The proposal comes amid renewed political debate over the RSS’s historical role, particularly during India’s struggle for independence. Critics may question the appropriateness of the award, given the contested narratives concerning Hedgewar’s contributions.
