Panaji : Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, MLA of Panaji, Antonasio (Babush) Monseratte along with BJP leaders and karyakartas paid tribute to Syama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary today.
Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. After protesting against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact, Mukherjee resigned from his cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he constituted the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as we know it today.
Tanavade who was present for the programme said, “Post independence Jammu & Kashmir needed a passport to enter, Mukherjee was against this dualistic policy of Pt. Nehru. He protested against the government and became lok sabha leader of opposition , he entered Jammu and Kashmir in protest without passport for which he was arrested and put in Jail where he died. The result of this was that the passport system was discontinued”.
“He lived for only 52 years and sacrificed his life to unite India” added Tanavade.
CM Sawant after paying tribute to Mukherjee said, ” Government of India revoked the special status, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir, removal of this special status was a dream of Mukherjee”.
“He wanted One unified nation , one Prime Minister and one Constitution for India but these were not the aspirations of Pt. Nehru hence, in protest Mukherjee resigned from his ministerial post, today we pay tribute to this leader for his sacrifice” concluded CM.
