BJP holds Workers’ Conference in Deoghar to mark Dr. SP Mookerjee’s 125th Birth Anniversary
SHATRUGHAN PRASAD
Deoghar
A workers’ conference was organized at the BJP District Office in Deoghar under the chairmanship of District President Sachin Rawani to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
Jharkhand’s first Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi attended as the chief guest. The program began with floral tributes to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
Addressing the gathering, Babulal Marandi highlighted Dr. Mookerjee’s life, nationalist ideology, and dedication to the nation. He noted that July 6 marks Mookerjee’s birth anniversary, which party workers observe every year.
Marandi described how Mookerjee, from a distinguished family, became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University but chose public service over a comfortable life. He played a key role in the freedom struggle, served in the Constituent Assembly, and was appointed Minister of Industry and Supply in Nehru’s cabinet in 1947. He introduced India’s first Industrial Policy and established major projects like the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and Sindri Fertilizer Plant.
Marandi recalled that Mookerjee resigned from the cabinet in 1950 opposing the Nehru-Liaquat Pact and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. He strongly opposed Article 370 and the permit system in Kashmir, famously declaring “Ek desh mein do Pradhan, do Vidhan aur do Nishan nahi chalega.” He was arrested in Kashmir and died under suspicious circumstances in jail on June 23, 1953.
The speaker asserted that Mookerjee’s vision for Kashmir is being fulfilled under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He also sharply criticized the Hemant Soren government.
Former Minister Randhir Singh said that West Bengal and Kashmir remain integral parts of India largely due to Dr. Mookerjee’s sacrifice. He also alleged large-scale corruption and looting in mining (sand and stone) in Deoghar district under the current dispensation.
The conference was attended by a large number of BJP workers, including former ministers, district and mandal office-bearers, frontal wing leaders, and senior functionaries.
