New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP leaders in paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary on Thursday (June 23). PM said all citizens are “indebted” to him for his “unparalleled efforts” toward forwarding India’s unity. “Remembering Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Punya Tithi. Every Indian is indebted to him for his unparalleled efforts towards furthering India’s unity. He worked hard for India’s progress and dreamt of a strong and prosperous nation. We are committed to fulfilling his dreams,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter. 


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Union Home Minister Amit Shah also remembered Mookerjee and said even his political opponents regarded him for his wealth of knowledge. “Mookerjee's life was a wonderful amalgamation of new ideas of national unity, cultural dedication, education and development. Every Indian is indebted to his supreme sacrifice for the struggle to protect Bengal and to keep Kashmir an integral part of India. Tributes to him on his sacrifice day,” Shah tweeted. 



In another tweet, the home minister added, “His political opponents also considered Dr. Mukherjee's scholarship and wealth of knowledge. He knew that it would not be possible to solve the problems of the country with the ideas and policies of the government of that time. That is why he chose the complicated path of long struggle renouncing the pleasure of power in the interest of the nation.” 


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"Dr. Mukherjee believed that the bright future of a nation is possible only on the strong foundation of its own culture and thinking. That is why he put a scientific approach of cultural nationalism and alternative political thinking in front of the country. Today his same thoughts are taking the country forward in every field," Shah said. 


BJP President JP Nadda paid floral tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary at the party headquarters. 



Calling him a "source of inspiration", Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid rich tributes to the founder president of the BJP's forerunner Jana Sangh and wrote, “I pay my humble tributes to the founder president of Jana Sangh and our source of inspiration, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary. His nationalistic thoughts and his contribution and sacrifice made for the unity of the nation will always inspire us.”


Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid floral tribute to Mookerjee in Lucknow and said the leader’s entire life was devoted to the cause of national unity and integrity. He also said that the Jana Sangh founder raised voice against the appeasement policy of the Congress and their tendency to "play with the unity-integrity and security of the country".  




Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a staunch critic of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He lost his life during detention in Kashmir in 1953 after he was arrested for entering the region without the required permit, a legal necessity the Jana Sangh founder then challenged, as per PTI. In 2019, the Modi government had fulfilled Mookerjee's legacy by nullifying the special constitutional provision for the erstwhile state of J&K. 


(With agency inputs)