Chandigarh [India], July 6 : Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday paid homage to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Virendraa Sachdeva, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other party leaders also paid floral tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Jana Sangh, on the occasion of his birth anniversary.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the ideological parent organisation of the BJP.
Born on July 6, 1901, in Calcutta, was a multifaceted personality - patriot, educationist, parliamentarian, statesman, and humanitarian. He inherited a legacy of erudition and nationalism from his father, Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, an esteemed Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and Judge of the Calcutta High Court.
This upbringing instilled in him a deep respect for India's cultural heritage and a keen interest in modern scientific thought. Mookerjee's academic brilliance was evident from an early age. After excelling at the Presidency College, he earned degrees in law and literature, including a D.Litt. and LL.D.
His tenure as the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University (1934) allowed him to implement his progressive vision for education. He played a pivotal role in promoting Indian languages and fostering intellectual growth, inviting luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore to inspire students. He later joined the Hindu Mahasabha and, in 1937, united non-Congress forces to form a Progressive Coalition government under the leadership of Fazal-ul-Haq, with himself as the Finance Minister.
In 1940, he became the acting President of the Hindu Mahasabha and declared complete independence for India as its political goal.
Mookerjee resigned from the Bengal Cabinet in November 1942, protesting against the Governor's interference in administration and criticising provincial autonomy as ineffective. His humanitarian efforts during the Bengal famine of 1943, including relief initiatives, highlighted his commitment to serving society.
Post-independence, he joined the interim government under Jawaharlal Nehru as Minister for Industry and Supply, where he laid the foundation for India's industrial growth by establishing iconic institutions such as the Chittaranjan Locomotive Factory, Sindri Fertiliser Corporation, and Hindustan.
However, ideological differences led to his resignation, after which he founded the All-India Bharatiya Jan Sangh (1951) to champion nationalist ideals.
According to the BJP's official website, on the issue of the Delhi pact with Likayat Ali Khan, Mookerjee resigned from the Cabinet on April 6, 1950. Later on October 21, 1951, Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in Delhi and became its first president.
Mookerjee went to visit Kashmir in 1953 and was arrested on May 11. He died under detention on June 23, 1953.