Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday lauded the contribution of social reformer late Nanaji Deshmukh, on his 15th death anniversary. Shah was addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Chitrakoot on the death anniversary program of Bharat Ratna and veteran RSS leader. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was also present during the occasion.
"The life of some people leaves an impact not only for years but for ages and they become the reason for change of an era. Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh is one of those great personalities," Shah said.
Amit Shah pays homage to Nanaji Deshmukh
Hailing Nanaji's contributions in the social and political fields, Shah said, "We are here to pay homage to Nanaji. Some people's lives are such that they don't just have an impact for a few years but for generations (yugas). They work for the transformation of the yuga. Nanaji was one of them."
He also reflected on Jan Sangh leader's early life. "Nanaji was born in Maharashtra and was a Swayamsevak. He made Uttar Pradesh his Karyakshetra. He became the General Secretary of the Jan Sangh, became a leader, and played a significant role in spreading the Jan Sangh in Uttar Pradesh."
Who is Nanaji Deshmukh
Born as Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh in a small town, Nanaji was associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a very early age. In 1940, after Keshav Baliram Hedgewar’s (founder of RSS) death, many youngsters inspired by him joined the RSS in Maharashtra.
He played a key role in the Jaya Prakash (JP) movement against Emergency in 1974. As the general secretary of the Lok Sangharsh Samiti, Deshmukh threw his weight behind Narayan's call for total revolution.
On January 25, 2019, President of India, Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Bharat Ratna upon him (posthumously) for his services to the nation.