PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary

Twitter/@sharmarekha

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary, adding that he made courageous efforts to further India's unity.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, PM Modi called him a devout patriot and said that he made exemplary contributions towards India’s development.

"I bow to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti. A devout patriot, he made exemplary contributions towards India’s development. He made courageous efforts to further India’s unity. His thoughts and ideals give strength to millions across the nation," the PM tweeted.

I bow to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti. A devout patriot, he made exemplary contributions towards India’s development. He made courageous efforts to further India’s unity. His thoughts and ideals give strength to millions across the nation.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2020

Mookerjee was born on July 6, 1901, in Calcutta. He was the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet but he later resigned from the Nehru' cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951.

He was also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party is the successor to the Bhartiya Jana Sangh, Mookerjee is also regarded as the founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He breathed his last on June 23, 1953.