Leaders across the political spectrum, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid tribute on Monday to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary, hailing his legacy as a nation-builder and unwavering nationalist.
In a message shared on social media, Prime Minister Modi described Mookerjee’s contribution to national integrity as “invaluable” and said it would “always be remembered with reverence”. “He displayed incomparable courage and strength to maintain the country’s integrity,” Modi said.
Mookerjee, a barrister and academic who once served as India’s youngest Vice-Chancellor at Calcutta University, founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh—precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party—in 1951 after breaking away from the Jawaharlal Nehru-led Cabinet over the Delhi Pact with Pakistan.
He was arrested in 1953 while entering Jammu and Kashmir without the mandatory permit, which he opposed as an infringement on national unity. He died in custody later that year, under circumstances that remain controversial.
Also read: PM Modi and BJP leaders honor S P Mookerjee
In Delhi, the BJP unit paid floral tributes to Mookerjee at an event in S P Mookerjee Park. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were among those present.
“Mookerjee was not just a leader and thinker, but a thought which is alive even today,” said Pradhan.
He added: “In 1953, Syama Prasad ji had entered Kashmir by protesting that there cannot be two systems in the country... Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it possible with the abrogation of Article 370.”
Union Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda too paid floral tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary, at the BJP Headquarters.
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described Mookerjee as a “visionary freedom fighter, educationist, and nation-builder” who “sacrificed his life for the cause of national unity”.
Speaking at a commemoration event to mark “Balidan Diwas”, Adityanath noted, “It was on this day in 1953 that he sacrificed his life for the cause of national unity.” He was joined by BJP’s state leadership including Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, Brajesh Pathak, Swatantra Dev Singh, and Dinesh Sharma.
The Chief Minister recalled Mookerjee’s resignation from Nehru’s Cabinet over national integrity issues, particularly his resistance to Article 370 and the separate permit system in Jammu and Kashmir. “When the Constitution came into effect in 1950 and Article 370 was introduced after the 1952 elections, Mookerjee raised his voice, stating ‘one nation, one leader, one law’,” he said.
Adityanath described the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 as a realisation of Mookerjee’s dream. “Jammu and Kashmir is now aligned with India’s constitutional values, realising the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’,” he said.
Born on 6 July 1901, Mookerjee briefly served as Bengal’s Finance Minister and was appointed Minister for Industry and Supply in Nehru’s Cabinet. He resigned in 1950 and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in October 1951. He was elected to Parliament in 1952. He died on 23 June 1953, aged 52.
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