Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday paid tributes to Dr Syama Prasad Mukerjee on his death anniversary, describing him as one of the nation's greatest leaders whose contributions played a crucial role in preserving India's unity and integrity.
The Home Minister asserted that Mukerjee's vision had been realised with the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Shah also highlighted the growth of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Mukerjee, into the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Today, Dr Syama Prasad Mukerjee's dream has come true. Article 370 has been abrogated. And the party he founded, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, is now known as the Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules from the Ganges to the Ganga Sagar in Bengal," he said.
Addressing a gathering at the launch of NAFED's Auction Portal in New Delhi, Shah said June 23 holds special significance for Bharatiya Janata Party workers as it marks the day when Mukerjee sacrificed his life for the cause of national unity.
"Today, June 23, is a very inspiring day for many workers like me who are associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. It was on this very day that Syama Prasad Mukerjee sacrificed his life to keep the country united and to fulfil the motto of 'one nation, one constitution, one leader'," Shah said. The Home Minister said Mukerjee died under suspicious circumstances while being held in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir and did not receive medical treatment.
Referring to the erstwhile special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, Shah said the provision had created a separate constitutional framework for the region. "After the country gained independence, Article 370 was implemented in Kashmir, which had its own state flag, its own separate Constitution, its own Prime Minister and its own President. This concept was very dangerous for the unity and integrity of India," he said.
The Home Minister said Mukerjee launched a movement against the arrangement and raised the slogan that there could not be 'two Constitutions, two flags and two Prime Ministers in one country'. "He led a march from Delhi to Kashmir. When he reached the border of Kashmir, a permit was demanded from him. He stated, 'Kashmir is a part of my country; I do not need any permit,'" Shah said while recalling Mukerjee's campaign against the permit system that existed at the time.
Shah said Mukerjee was arrested after refusing to comply with the permit system that existed for entry into Jammu and Kashmir at the time."He was arrested there. He had even resigned as Industry Minister from Jawaharlal Nehru's first cabinet over this very issue," Shah said.
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