Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s sacrifice by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday.
BJP leaders, including Pradhan and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, paid floral tributes at the late leader’s statue during a memorial meet organised by the Delhi unit of the party at the S P Mookerjee Park here on the occasion of his death anniversary.
Pradhan said for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sangh workers, Mookerjee was not merely a person or a leader, but a living ideology.
“Seventy two years ago, he entered Jammu and Kashmir opposing the concept of ‘two systems in one country’, which made history. His sacrifice was honoured when Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 in 2019,” Pradhan said.
He noted that the country had diverse ideological groups after Independence — communalists, communists and nationalists — and Mookerjee, often disagreeing with prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies, chose to resign from the cabinet.
“This critical moment led him to join hands with the RSS and establish an alternative political ideology in the form of Jana Sangh,” Pradhan said.
He recalled that once Nehru reportedly told Mookerjee, “I will crush you,” to which the latter replied, “I will crush this crushing mentality.”
Stressing that India is now close to being free from Naxalism, confined to just a few districts, Pradhan said Modi has steadfastly ensured national security and sovereignty over the last 10 years.
“The foundation of this governance is rooted in Dr Mookerjee’s ideas,” he said.
Mookerjee offered original and alternative views on education, language, small industries, national security, foreign policy and the Constitution, Pradhan noted.
“Today, the essence of governance is reaching the last person in the society, inspired by the philosophy of integral humanism of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Together, Dr Mookerjee and Pandit Upadhyaya are considered the two wheels of the party, which has now completed 11 years of governance focussed on service and welfare,” he added.
India has now carved a new identity based on Indian values and emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy, the Union minister said, adding that governance is no longer for consumption, but based on Indian values, it is a medium for service.
Gupta said Mookerjee started the fight for national unity and integrity.
“Though India became independent in 1947, the battle for unity continued and Dr Mookerjee led it. He declared that ‘two constitutions in one country’ was unacceptable and asserted that Kashmir belonged entirely to India.
“Unfortunately, previous governments only divided the country, giving birth to Pakistan and later, Bangladesh,” the chief minister said.
She said it is unfortunate that the circumstances leading up to Mookerjee’s death remain suspicious and added that Prime Minister Modi is the only one who has truly honoured his sacrifice by abrogating the provisions of Article 370.
The BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 in August 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (Agencies)
