Addressing a gathering during the launch of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India's auction portal in New Delhi, Shah said June 23 holds special significance for workers associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party as it marks the day when Mookerjee sacrificed his life for the cause of national unity.
Shah said Syama Prasad Mookerjee laid down his life to uphold the principle of one nation and one Constitution. He recalled that Mookerjee died under suspicious circumstances while being held in a jail in Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that he was not provided medical treatment.
Highlighting Mookerjee's role during the partition of India, Shah said he fought against the British administration to ensure that West Bengal remained with India while East Bengal became part of Pakistan. He said that because of Mookerjee's efforts, West Bengal continues to remain an integral part of the country.
Referring to the erstwhile special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, Shah said the provision had created a separate constitutional framework in the region. He stated that Jammu and Kashmir had its own flag, separate Constitution, Prime Minister and President, adding that such an arrangement posed a threat to the country's unity and integrity.
The Home Minister said Mookerjee launched a movement against the system and raised the slogan that one country could not have two Constitutions, two flags and two Prime Ministers. He recalled that Mookerjee led a march from Delhi to Kashmir and, upon reaching the border, was asked to produce a permit. According to Shah, Mookerjee declared that Kashmir was a part of India and that he did not require any permit to enter the region.
Shah said Mookerjee was arrested after refusing to comply with the permit system that existed at the time. He also stated that Mookerjee had resigned from the post of Industry Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet over the issue.
The Union Home Minister asserted that Mookerjee's vision had been fulfilled with the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. He also highlighted the transformation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, founded by Mookerjee, into the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Shah said the party established by Mookerjee now governs from the Ganges to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal, describing it as the fulfilment of the late leader's aspirations.
During the event, Shah also praised the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India for the launch of its auction platform, NAFEX. He said the cooperative body, which was facing closure in 2014, had undergone a major turnaround through various reforms.
According to Shah, the organisation has achieved a turnover of Rs 30,000 crore and recorded a profit of Rs 500 crore while extending services to 7.6 million farmers across the country.
The Home Minister's remarks linked Syama Prasad Mookerjee's political legacy with contemporary policy developments and highlighted the Bharatiya Janata Party's view that the removal of Article 370 represented the realisation of his long-standing vision for national unity and constitutional integration.
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