Modi Leads National Celebrations for Syama Prasad Mookerjee's 125th Anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commemorated the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on July 6, 2026. Modi announced that the government is conducting a two-year national celebration, which began in July 2025 and will conclude in July 2027. In a series of tributes and a video address, Modi hailed Mookerjee as a transformative nation-builder and linked his vision of a unified India to the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, calling it the most fitting tribute to Mookerjee's martyrdom.

Commemorative events took place across India, including floral tributes in Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Bengaluru. In Kolkata, Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for declaring July 6 a public holiday and erecting a statue of Mookerjee. Shah also criticized the Indian National Congress, alleging the party blocked investigations into Mookerjee's mysterious 1953 death in Kashmir.

Leaders emphasized Mookerjee's multifaceted legacy as the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, India's first Minister for Industry and Supply, and the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. They highlighted his roles in establishing the Damodar Valley Corporation and the Sindri Fertiliser Plant, as well as his humanitarian efforts during the 1943 Bengal Famine. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath credited Mookerjee with saving West Bengal from Pakistan during Partition, while other officials noted that his 1948 industrial policies laid the groundwork for India's current pursuit of self-reliance.