The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday organised memorial seminars across the city as part of the Bharat Kesari Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Memorial Fortnight, with senior party leaders paying tribute to the Jana Sangh founder and asserting that his vision of national integration was realised through the abrogation of Article 370.
Seminars mark Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary
The seminars, organised by the BJP's Outer Delhi and New Delhi district units ahead of Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary on July 6, were addressed by Delhi BJP president and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, and BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi. MPs Yogendra Chandolia and Bansuri Swaraj also paid floral tributes during the events, which were attended by several party MLAs and office-bearers.
Malhotra: Mookerjee placed nation above power
Addressing the gathering in Outer Delhi, Malhotra described Mookerjee as a nationalist leader who prioritised the country's unity over political office. “Mookerjee is remembered as the leader who placed the nation above power and sacrificed his life to uphold the vision of 'One Nation, One Constitution,'” he said. Malhotra noted that Mookerjee resigned from the Union Cabinet in 1950 rather than compromise on his principles and later launched a movement against the permit system in Jammu and Kashmir, where he died in detention in 1953. He added that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Mookerjee in 1951, laid the ideological foundation of the present-day BJP.
Trivedi: Article 370 abrogation fulfilled incomplete freedom
At the New Delhi district seminar, Trivedi said Mookerjee viewed the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir as inconsistent with national unity. “The freedom that remained incomplete in 1947 was fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he abrogated Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir on August 5, 2019,” he added. Highlighting Mookerjee's emphasis on cultural nationalism, Trivedi said, “A nation may be divided politically, but it can never be divided culturally. Cultural consciousness remains indivisible.” He further stated that the Modi government had carried forward Mookerjee's vision through initiatives such as promoting indigenous manufacturing and enacting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Commemorative events conclude July 6
The BJP will conclude the commemorative fortnight on July 6 with floral tributes at Mookerjee's statue near Delhi Gate. A commemorative lecture will be held later in the day at the Civic Centre, where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra will address the gathering.
