Syama Prasad Mookerjee Birth Anniversary: PM Modi Pays Tributes to Founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh

Paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who had founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he devoted his life to India’s unity and progress, and his lofty ideals motivate millions across the nation. Mookerjee led a campaign against Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, and died under detention in the erstwhile state in 1953.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1412219519070662657?s=20

He was born in Kolkata in 1901. The Jana Sangh was the progenitor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was founded in 1980.

The Modi government nullified Article 370 in 2019, fulfilling a foundational agenda of the BJP. In a tweet, Modi said, “I bow to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti. His lofty ideals motivate millions across our nation. Dr. Mookerjee devoted his life towards India’s unity and progress. He also distinguished himself as a remarkable scholar and intellectual.”

LESSER-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF BHARATIYA JANA SANGH:

Syama Prasad Mookerjee completed his initial education for Mitra Institution in Bhawanipur, Kolkata. After finishing school, he took admission to Presidency College, now university. The ace politician was also the 17th rank holder in the Inter-Arts Examination in 1916.

In 1924, he got enrolled as an advocate in Calcutta High Court, and in 1934, at the age of 33, Mookerjee became the youngest vice-chancellor of Calcutta University. During his tenure, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore delivered the university convocation address in Bengali. This was the first time such a thing had happened.

In 1951, Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. He had made this sangh after consulting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s MS Golwalkar.

Mookerjee was against the Quit India Movement. In order to stop it, he wrote several letters to the British governor. He did this during his tenure as the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha. Mookerjee and other members of the Mahasabha thought that the Quit India movement will destroy the integrity of society.

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