BJP minority front seeks Bharat Ratna for RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, writes to President

Ahead of the centenary year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), set to commence on October 2, the minority front of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for conferring the Bharat Ratna posthumously on RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Jamal Siddiqui, national president of the BJP minority front, has demanded India’s highest civilian award to be bestowed upon Dr Hedgewar in recognition of his role as a freedom fighter and a nation-builder.

"I humbly request the posthumous conferment of India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, India's greatest freedom fighter and pioneer of nation-building.

“This demand is necessary not only to honour his incomparable contributions but also to inspire nationalism among the younger generation,” Siddiqui said in his letter to the President.

Hedgewar was born on April 1, 1889, in Nagpur, in a humble Marathi Deshastha Brahmin family.

In 1921, his speeches at Katol and Bharatwada led to his arrest by the British government on charges of sedition and a one-year prison sentence. Similarly, he was imprisoned for nine months for the 1930 Jungle Satyagraha, but his resolve remained unwavering.

In 1925, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur, which has since grown to become India’s largest cultural and social organisation.

The RSS's objective was to strengthen the nation by organising society and protecting independent India from divisive forces. His vision inspired millions of volunteers to serve the nation.

Dr Hedgewar passed away on June 21, 1940, but his ideology and organisation continue to strengthen the foundation of India.

Given Dr Hedgewar's contributions—active participation in the freedom struggle, organisational skills in nation-building, and vision that unified Indian society—conferring the Bharat Ratna on him would be highly appropriate, the BJP minority front head said.

“This honour would not only recognise his personal sacrifice but also encourage all volunteers who are anonymously engaged in national service. In the current context, when nationalism and cultural unity are needed, this step would prove inspiring,” he said.