Ashok Singhal was a senior VHP leader and RSS pracharak who died in November 2015. He was a key figure in the Ram janmabhoomi movement. According to one BJP MP, Sakshi Maharaj, Singhal said that "the movement would not gain momentum unless some people die". The legal case against Singhal and others was still ongoing at the time of his death.
Singhal was known for his anti-Muslim hate speech, saying for example about the Gujarat pogroms of 2002: "the Gujarat experiment was successful... entire villages were purged of Islam". After the BJP victory in the 2014 general election, he claimed that Muslims "must learn to respect Hindu sentiments" and that India "would be a Hindu nation by 2020".
Singhal saw Narendra Modi as an "ideal swayamsevak", and Modi in turn called his death "a deep personal loss", claimed that his "life was centred around serving the nation", and that he is "an inspiration for generations".
References:
• Cobrapost investigation into the Ram Janmabhoomi operation.
• Articles on Ashok Singhal on Narendra Modi Facts.