The BJP blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for “mistakes” which had ensured that a “large part of Kashmir” was under “the occupation of Pakistan”, at an event to mark the birth anniversary of the party’s founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee here on Saturday.
The party’s senior leadership, which included its national organisation general secretary Ramlal, national vice-president and Delhi in-charge Shyam Jaju, organisation general secretary Siddharthan, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Vijender Gupta, former Union Minister Vijay Goel and MPs Meenakshi Lekhi and Pravesh Verma among others paid floral tributes to Dr. Mukherjee at the Shahidi Park.
‘Mistakes committed’
“A large part of Kashmir is under the occupation of Pakistan due to the mistakes committed by Jawaharlal Nehru. Congress always played the politics of splitting the country and we believe in taking all together,” Mr. Ramlal said.
“Dr. Mukherjee wanted to make Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India. At that time Jammu and Kashmir had a separate flag and separate Constitution. Dr. Mukherjee was not only a nationalist but he also sacrificed his entire life for the unity and integrity of the country. On his birth anniversary, all of us should pledge that we will end the anti national thinking from his native state,” he said further.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that Dr. Mukherjee had strongly opposed ‘Do Vidhaan-Do Pradhaan and Do Nishaan’ in the country.
“He [Dr. Mukherjee] had also sought to end Article 370 in his speeches in Parliament. In a massive rally in August, 1952, in Jammu he had expressed his pledge that either I will give you the Indian Constitution or I will sacrifice my life for the fulfilment of this objective. Taking pledge for realising the dreams of Dr. Mukherjee will be the real tribute to him,” he said.
