The BJP on Sunday commemorated the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee — founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and one of India’s foremost nationalist thinkers — by organising tribute events across all 27 organisational districts of Jharkhand. The occasion was marked by discussions on his life, ideology, and contribution to India’s unity and development.

Addressing a symposium hosted by the Dhanbad metropolitan unit, BJP state president and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi said, “Dr. Mookerjee was a visionary nationalist, a profound thinker, an educationist, and a courageous political leader who sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of India.” He added that in the history of independent India, Mookerjee was the first leader to make the ultimate sacrifice for national unity.

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Marandi strongly criticised the Congress party, accusing it of consistently following a policy of appeasement. “Dr. Mookerjee always opposed Congress’s appeasement politics. He believed in cultural nationalism and civilisational pride, not divisive compromise,” he said.

Highlighting Dr. Mookerjee’s legacy as Union Industries Minister, Marandi credited him for laying the industrial foundation of modern India, citing the Sindri fertiliser plant as a landmark initiative of his tenure.

He also invoked Mookerjee’s firm opposition to Article 370, calling him the earliest and most determined voice against the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. “He could not tolerate the idea of two Constitutions, two flags, and two heads of government in one nation,” he remarked.

Earlier in the day, BJP state organisation secretary Karmveer Singh led floral tributes at the party headquarters in Ranchi. Speaking on the occasion, Singh described Mookerjee as a master organiser and ideological pillar of the nationalist movement.

“By opposing the dual system in Jammu and Kashmir and embracing martyrdom, Dr. Mookerjee laid the foundation for one nation, one Constitution — a principle that continues to guide us,” Singh said.