Nagpur: Senior leaders of the BJP and Shiv Sena, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, visited the RSS Smruti Mandir at Reshimbagh on Sunday, marking the conclusion of the Maharashtra Legislature’s Winter Session. For the second consecutive year, leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, remained absent from the visit, a development that drew political attention in the backdrop of the approaching civic elections, even as Mahayuti leaders reiterated that the ruling alliance remains united.
The delegation comprised Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, besides a large number of Cabinet ministers, legislators and senior leaders from the BJP and the Shiv Sena. The leaders paid floral tributes at the memorials of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder and first Sarsanghchalak Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and the organisation’s second Sarsanghchalak, M.S. Golwalkar, popularly known as Guruji.
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Addressing the media after the visit, Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe said the programme held special importance as it coincided with the RSS centenary year and the Winter Session being conducted in Nagpur, the birthplace of the organisation. “After paying homage at the memorial, we resolved to carry forward the positive and constructive work done in the Legislature with greater momentum,” she said, adding that the visit also involved informal discussions and guidance.
Reflecting on the RSS’s journey, Gorhe said the organisation’s enduring strength lay in its ability to mould “ordinary individuals into committed social workers,” despite its modest beginnings. Quoting Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s philosophy of “80 per cent social work and 20 per cent politics,” she said the visit offered renewed inspiration and energy to pursue public life rooted in social service.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the RSS centenary as “a centenary of patriotism.” “For 100 years, the Sangh has worked quietly, without seeking publicity. Every visit to Reshimbagh gives us strength and inspiration to serve the nation,” he said. Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Shinde termed him “a true patriot and a towering personality who continues to guide the nation.”
