Syama Prasad Mukherjee

Syama Prasad Mukherjee (1901-1953) was an influential Indian politician, lawyer, and academic. He founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, which later evolved into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mukherjee advocated for a strong, unified India, emphasizing the need for national integrity and promoting Hindu nationalism. He was a vocal critic of the then-Indian government’s policies towards Jammu and Kashmir and famously opposed the special status granted to the region. His arrest in 1953 during a protest led to his death under controversial circumstances, making him a significant figure in India's political history and a symbol of nationalist sentiments.