Union Minister Jitendra Singh describes J&K as ‘Balidaan Bhoomi’ of Syama Prasad Mookerjee

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 6 (ANI): Union Minister Jitendra Singh paid tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary on July 6. He described the region of Jammu and Kashmir as the “Balidaan Bhoomi” of Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

“The whole country today, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party, observes this day in memory of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. It is this region of the country that can be described as the ‘Balidaan Bhoomi’ of Syama Prasad Mookerjee,” Jitendra Singh told ANI.

“…I said so in Parliament on August 5, when Article 370 was abrogated. Had Mookerjee been around today, in his unique style, he would have said, ‘Go and tell the world Modi has abrogated Article 370,” Singh added.

Underscoring the importance of Jammu and Kashmir for the BJP, he further said, “You can imagine what kind of significance J&K has for BJP. It was here that he gave a call for the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian Union, which later became the aspiring spirit for the then Bharatiya Jana Sangh.”

“The whole country, particularly the cadre of BJP, very keenly watches the activities of the organization in this part of the country because it is here that BJP was actually born in letter and spirit,” he said.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the ideological parent organization of the BJP. He also served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.

According to the BJP’s official website, on the issue of the Delhi pact with Liaquat Ali Khan, Mookerjee resigned from the Cabinet on April 6, 1950. Later, on October 21, 1951, Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in Delhi and became its first president.

Mookerjee went to visit Kashmir in 1953 and was arrested on May 11. He died under detention on June 23, 1953.