Nation Pays Tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on 125th Birth Anniversary

India observed the 125th birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders across the country paying tribute to the nationalist leader and educationist.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the revocation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019 was the most fitting tribute to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee's martyrdom, recalling that Acharya Vinoba Bhave had said Mookerjee sacrificed himself for a cause in which he had complete faith. The Prime Minister said the abrogation of Article 370 , which ended Jammu and Kashmir's special status, honoured Mookerjee's conviction that India needed the full integration of the state.

Modi traced Mookerjee's life from his privileged upbringing as the son of educationist Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee to his decision to embrace sacrifice, his tenure as Calcutta University's youngest vice chancellor, his stint as India's first Minister for Industry and Supply under Jawaharlal Nehru , his resignation over differences with the government, and his eventual death in detention in Srinagar on June 23, 1953 . Modi also referenced Mookerjee's opposition to Nehru's First Amendment and his humanitarian work during the 1943 Bengal famine .

Separately, in a post on X , Modi called Mookerjee one of India's foremost nation builders, saying he dedicated himself to the cause of the country's unity, dignity and progress.

In Kolkata , the Union Culture Ministry, jointly with the West Bengal government, organised a commemorative programme at Milan Mela Prangan as part of a two year nationwide observance of Mookerjee's anniversary. Amit Shah attended as chief guest, alongside Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari . The day began with floral tributes at Mookerjee's Bhawanipore residence, followed by a bhoomi poojan and foundation stone laying for a proposed 125 foot statue at Eco Park. The Milan Mela programme featured an exhibition of rare photographs and archival material, mass singing of Vande Mataram, and a musical tribute called "Sur, Sanskriti evam Rashtra" performed by 57 artistes under Padma Shri recipient Tarun Bhattacharya, along with a short film on Mookerjee's life. This was Shah's first visit to Bengal since the BJP government took charge on May 9 .

Suvendu Adhikari announced that Mookerjee's contributions would be included in state textbooks from the next academic year and pledged Rs 25 lakh from his constituency fund to renovate Mitra Institution, the south Kolkata school where Mookerjee studied. Tributes also poured in from Yogi Adityanath and other leaders nationwide.