Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was a great educationist, who was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University at the age of 33 and played a significant role in the fight for the country’s independence.
Addressing a meeting after paying floral tributes to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary, the CM emphasised the crucial role played by Dr as a national leader in preventing the tragedy of the country’s partition and saving Bengal from the crookedness of the British.
He said it was the result of Dr Mukherjee’s patriotism and his contributions that, as soon as the country became independent in 1947, he got the opportunity to further India’s industrial policy as the first Minister of Industries and Food in the interim government.
Yogi said, “However, later, he understood that the government at the time was moving away from the principles and ideals that had led to independence and was instead pursuing appeasement policies. In response, he distanced himself from the government and later started working as the founder and president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.”
He said as the president of the Jana Sangh Dr Mukherjee openly opposed all those policies associated with appeasement by the government, which posed a threat to the unity and national integrity of India.
The CM said, “After independence, the situation in Kashmir was continuously deteriorating due to the improvidence of Congress. In such circumstances, Dr Mukherjee raised a slogan for the country, opposing the creation of separate laws for Jammu and Kashmir and granting separate recognition to the CM of the state.”
He said, “Dr Mukherjee raised the slogan of ‘Ek Desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur do Nishan nahi chalenge (There cannot be two Constitutions, two Prime Ministers and two flags in one nation).”
Yogi said Dr Mukherjee turned this slogan into a movement and campaign and was also arrested during that time. “His sacrifice for saving Kashmir and ensuring the unity of India is still remembered today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled Dr Mukherjee’s dream by permanently abrogating Article 370 in Kashmir,” he said.
Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak, former minister Mohsin Raza, MLAs Dr Neeraj Bora, Rajeshwar Singh, Yogesh Shukla, and others were present at the event.
