Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today attended the commemorative programme marking the 125^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, as the Chief Guest. A video message by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was screened during the programme. The event was attended by Chief Minister of West Bengal Shri Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and several other distinguished dignitaries.

Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee made the supreme sacrifice for the integration of Kashmir with India. He said that Dr. Mukherjee had resigned from the country's first Union Cabinet in protest against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact. Shri Shah said that Dr. Mukherjee firmly believed that India's policies should reflect the ethos and aspirations of the nation. Shri Amit Shah said that, 63 years after the demise of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the foundation stone of his grand 125-foot-tall statue has been laid in Kolkata on the occasion of his 125^th Birth Anniversary. He said that today, when the party founded by Dr. Mookerjee and guided by his ideology is in government in Bengal, his legacy is being accorded the honour it rightfully deserves in the state. Shri Shah said that the ceremony was not merely the groundbreaking for a statue of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, but also the foundation for the fulfillment of the resolve of Sonar Bangla. He said, alongside the grand statue of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute, dedicated to research on India's security, will also be established.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the realization of the vision of a rejuvenated Bengal, as envisioned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Aurobindo, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Raja Rammohun Roy, has begun today on the occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Shri Amit Shah said that the Government of West Bengal has honoured Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee by declaring his Birth Anniversary a public holiday. He expressed confidence that the West Bengal Government would also soon fulfill Dr. Mookerjee's vision regarding the promotion of Indian languages.

Shri Amit Shah said that the life of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was truly multidimensional. He said that throughout his life, Dr. Mookerjee made every effort to translate his ideals into action. Shri Shah said that by founding the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Dr. Mookerjee sowed a seed that brought together all nationalist forces in the country and laid the foundation of cultural nationalism. He said that today, the seed sown by Dr. Mookerjee has grown into a mighty banyan tree that continues to flourish across the nation.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that today, the organisation founded by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee is governing nearly two-thirds of the country's geographical area and more than two-thirds of its population in accordance with its policies. He said that while establishing the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Dr. Mookerjee had resolved that merely changing governments would not transform India's destiny. He believed that the policies of independent India should emanate from the ethos of the country's own soil and should not bear the imprint of the West. Shri Amit Shah said that wherever the soul of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee may be today, it would certainly be blessing India as it progresses under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in accordance with his vision. He said that Dr. Mookerjee had shown the path towards building a modern India by harmonising development with heritage while preserving the nation's rich cultural legacy. Shri Shah added that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has imbibed this guiding principle and strengthened the foundations of India's development, so that the country can realise the goal of becoming a fully developed nation by 2047 while ensuring that the flag of its rich cultural heritage flies highest across the world.

Shri Amit Shah said that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation. Raising the slogan, "Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan", Dr. Mookerjee died under suspicious circumstances in a jail in Kashmir, but the then government did not order an inquiry into his death. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi fulfilled Dr. Mookerjee's resolve by uprooting Article 370 from Kashmir. Today, Kashmir has become an integral part of India.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that after studying the Nehru–Liaquat Pact, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee had observed that it made no provision for the welfare and protection of Hindus who had remained in Pakistan and East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), while addressing the concerns of Muslims who had stayed in India. Dr. Mookerjee believed that the agreement was entirely one-sided, and it was for this reason that he resigned from the Union Cabinet. Shri Shah said that today, the government led by the party founded by Dr. Mookerjee has enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus. Union Home Minister said that Article 370 has been abrogated, the process of granting citizenship to refugee Hindus has been completed, and the government will identify and remove every infiltrator from India's soil to ensure the nation's complete security.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the coincidence of the 150^th anniversary of the composition of Vande Mataram and the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee falling in the same year is a significant indication of destiny. He said that the complete rendition of Vande Mataram has now begun, and the new generation will proudly pay homage to all manifestations of Bharat Mata.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that whether it is cultural nationalism, the resolve for an undivided India, or the vision of advancing both development and heritage, the common source of all these nationalist ideals is the ideology of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Shri Shah said that Dr. Mookerjee always expressed his views with courage and candour. He added that Dr. Mookerjee's ideas possess such enduring strength that today his ideology shines resplendently before the nation, illuminating the world like millions of radiant suns.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the people of Bengal have brought about a change in the 125th birth anniversary year of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. Within a short time of our party forming the government, many promises have been fulfilled. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari, the Annapurna Scheme has been implemented. Ujjwala 3.0 has been rolled out. Free bus travel for women and girl students has become a reality on the ground. The Lakhpati Didi Mission has been launched. Free medical treatment up to ₹5 lakh for the poor under Ayushman Bharat has also been implemented on the ground. The construction of a cancer hospital has begun in North Bengal. The work of handing over land for fencing to the BSF has been completed. A committee under Justice Brijendra Nath has also been constituted to investigate corruption cases.

Union Home Minister said that those who indulged in corruption in Bengal should be ready to return every single penny as soon as the committee’s report is submitted. The poor people of Bengal are waiting for it. A committee has also been formed to investigate cases of atrocities against women. Earlier, permission for prosecuting long-pending corruption cases was not being granted, but now the Bengal government has given approval in all such cases. A committee has also been constituted for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, and we will implement it. The West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2026 has been passed. We had promised strict action against goons. This Bill is the first step in that direction.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the process of identifying infiltrators in the state and deporting them has begun. A Durga Suraksha Squad has been formed for the safety of mothers and sisters. Chief Minister Shri Shubhendu Adhikari has built a grand memorial for Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in his own state, thereby inspiring the coming generations. When a government with nationalist thinking comes to power, when a government that moves forward on the ideology of the organisation is formed, when a government rises above personal interests and dynastic politics — only then such work becomes possible. Shri Shubhendu Ji has started implementing our manifesto with great speed for the welfare of the people of Bengal. This is a ray of great hope not only for the people of Bengal but for the entire country. Today, the whole nation is looking towards Bengal with immense hope. Bengal had for many years provided leadership to the entire country in religious, ideological, literary and nationalist spheres. For a long time, under the rule of the opposition party, that spirit of Bengal was suppressed. However, if the plant and the seed are strong, then the moment they get an opportunity, they once again become a mighty banyan tree. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shubhendu Ji, the making of ‘Sonar Bangla’ has not only begun, but we will also succeed in turning it into a ground reality.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the person who saved Bengal, Kashmir and Assam — no one had thought of building a memorial for him until now. He said that the government of Shri Shubhendu Adhikari will fulfil each and every promise within five years and will lay the foundation for building a ‘Sonar Bangla’.

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RK/PR/PS