Syama Prasad Mookerjee's legacy was suppressed for decades, says CM Adhikari

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday accused the Congress and Trinamool Congress governments of attempting to erase the legacy of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and suppress his contributions, while speaking at an event marking the Jan Sangh founder's Atma Balidan Diwas (Martyrdom Day).

Addressing a public gathering organised by the BJP Yuva Morcha in south Kolkata, Adhikari alleged that the 34-year Left Front rule and the subsequent 15 years of Trinamool Congress governance deliberately downplayed the contributions of Dr. Mookerjee and Swami Pranavananda.

"First the Congress and then the Trinamool government tried to erase the memory of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and suppress his contributions," Adhikari said.


The chief minister said West Bengal Divas was recently celebrated in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that the state was now observing Mookerjee's Atma Balidan Diwas while reaffirming his "Nation First" philosophy.

'A conspiratorial murder, not a natural death'

Reiterating allegations surrounding the death of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder, Adhikari said he believed Mookerjee's death was not natural.

"We believe it was a conspiratorial murder," he said.

Adhikari praised Mookerjee for what he described as his efforts to keep Jammu and Kashmir fully integrated with India under the slogan "Ek Desh, Ek Pradhan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan" (One Country, One Head, One Constitution, One Flag).

He said Mookerjee consistently raised his voice in favour of national unity and a strong, integrated India.


Expressing gratitude on behalf of Bengali Hindus, Adhikari also recalled what he termed two pivotal moments in history associated with Mookerjee's legacy.


Referring to June 20, 1947, he said Mookerjee played a crucial role in securing West Bengal's future within India through a vote in the Bengal Legislative Assembly during the Partition period.


According to Adhikari, Mookerjee's political interventions helped ensure that large parts of Bengal remained within the Indian Union, a contribution he said had not received adequate recognition under previous governments.


The chief minister said his government was committed to preserving and promoting the legacy of Mookerjee and other Bengali icons whom he claimed had been neglected for decades.