Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on Sunday and paid tributes at memorials dedicated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, and its second chief MS Golwalkar.
PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur is a historic first, as no prime minister has ever visited it before.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was present during PMModi’s visit to the Smruti Mandir in Nagpur’s Reshimbagh, the administrative headquarters of the organisation, which is planning to celebrate 100 years since its founding.
PM Modi’s visit coincides with the Sangh’s Pratipada programme, marking Gudi Padwa, the beginning of the Hindu New Year. He also paid his respects to BR Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi, where the architect of the India’s Constitution converted to Buddhism with thousands of his followers in 1956.
PM Modi in Nagpur, Chhattisgarh today
• As per the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre at Nagpur and address a public meeting.
• At around 12:30 pm, PM Modi will inaugurate the Loitering Munition Testing Range and Runway facility for UAVs at Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited.
• Later, he will lay the foundation stone of Madhav Netralaya Premium Centre, a new extension building of Madhav Netralaya Eye Institute & Research Centre, a premier super-speciality ophthalmic care facility located in Nagpur.
• PM Modi will also visit the Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited’s ammunition facility to inaugurate the newly built 1250m long and 25m wide airstrip for Unarmed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the live munition and warhead testing facility built to test the loitering munition and other guided munitions.
• RSS ideologues have welcomed the visit and brushed aside allegations of rift between the Sangh’s leadership and the prime minister. A member Seshadri Chari noted that this would be the first time PM Modi visited Smruti Mandir after becoming the Prime Minister.
• In Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone, initiate commencement of work and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects related to power, oil and gas, rail, road, education and housing sectors worth over ₹33,700 crore in Bilaspur, PMO said.
