On Syama Prasad Mookerjee's birth anniversary, an account of how PM Modi championed his ideals

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, on his birth anniversary.

"Respectful tributes to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary, who made India proud with his strong nationalist views. His dedication and sacrifice for the motherland will always inspire the citizens of the country," said the Prime Minister in a post on X.

As the nation observes his birth anniversary, here is an account of how PM Modi not only championed his ideals but also realised his dream of ‘One Nation’.

Modi Archive, a popular X handle, on Saturday, shared information on PM Modi steadfastly upholding Mookerjee's beliefs and ardently pursuing his efforts to unify the country. It accentuates the special tribute paid by PM Modi to the Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder in 2013.

It informs that after becoming BJP’s campaign committee chairman for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi led his first rally at the spot where Mookerjee was arrested in 1953. This event also marked Mookerjee's 'Balidan Diwas.'

The public rally was held in Punjab’s Pathankot, the very location where the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder was arrested in 1953 and kept in custody for 45 days. His sudden death in prison stunned the nation, leading to the abolition of the Permit System in J&K, shortly thereafter.

Mookerjee, a strong proponent of United India, passed away while fighting for the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the nation.

In 2019, the Modi government actualised Syama Prasad Mookerjee's vision by revoking Article 370, thereby paving the way for the revocation of its special status. A few months later, on January 1, 2020, the government took another historic step by abolishing the last traces of Jammu and Kashmir's enforced autonomy, thereby locking Mookerjee's dream of a fully integrated India.

Also, the government ceased operations at the Lakhanpur Toll Plaza in Pathankot, the very site where Mookerjee was arrested, a location signifying the artificial legal barrier between J&K and the rest of India.