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New Delhi: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the late VHP leader Ashok Singhal as an inspiration and hero during the centenary year celebrations marking his birth anniversary. Shah emphasized that Singhal's life embodied qualities such as penance, simplicity, dedication, and endeavor, which are worthy of emulation by every young person. The RSS general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabole, and other Hindutva figures attended the event.

Shah attributed the removal of government obstacles and the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya to the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted Singhal's role in wiping blood from his face during a police lathicharge ordered by the then-UP government against Ram temple activists, urging the youth to remember this image for 100 years.

According to Shah, Ashok ji believed that commitment to Hindutva was essential for the welfare of the entire universe, as it was based on the ideals of Hindutva. Born into a well-off family, Singhal joined the RSS and became a prominent figure in the temple movement as a VHP leader. He expanded the Hindutva movement by incorporating deprived sections of society, particularly Dalits and tribals.

Shah lamented that when a nation and society fail to remember their heroes and their teachings, an ideological vacuum emerges. He called for promoting Singhal's life story to inspire the youth.