One of the fiery speakers known for her divisive and highly communally charged speeches, whose recorded speeches were widely played in public places as a VHP firebrand, Sadhvi Ritambhara has been awarded Padma Bhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award by the BJP government.
She rose to fame during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1980s and 1990s, when her rousing speeches had a polarising effect on the country, reportedly inciting communal violence, for which she was named in several FIRs related to events before and after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Hailing from Doraha in Ludhiana, Punjab, Ritambhara faced legal action for delivering inflammatory speeches on the Babri Masjid in 1991 and that same year, she founded the Durga Vahini, a women’s wing of the VHP aimed at promoting Hindutva ideals.
Her involvement in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 placed her at the centre of one of India’s most divisive political events, with the Liberhan Commission holding her among the 68 individuals culpable for exacerbating communal tensions. Despite facing charges alongside prominent leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, she was acquitted in 2020 along with all other accused in the case.
Ritambhara’s influence extended beyond the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as she later directed her rhetoric against Christians, particularly in 1995 following the murder of a nun, Rani Maria, in Madhya Pradesh.
Allegedly killed by a BJP-VHP activist, the incident spurred Ritambhara to deliver aggressive statements that were criticised for threatening communal harmony. Her organisation, Durga Vahini, was also involved in a series of controversial activities, including the vandalisation of the Odisha Assembly in 2002 and the public humiliation of a theatre director in 2004 for perceived disrespect towards Hindu deities.
In recent years, Ritambhara has shifted her focus toward education, serving as the head of the Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School, which is one of several such institutions linked to organisations affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Through her leadership at the school, she has emphasised the importance of traditional values and has criticised modern youth culture, particularly targeting young women for behaviours she deems inappropriate. Her remarks, often captured in videos shared online, have sparked debates about the intersection of education, morality, and cultural expectations.