Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday paid tributes to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said he sacrificed his life for 'one nation, one law, one symbol' and making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India.
Shah said the nation will always be indebted to Mookerjee for this struggle and sacrifice.
"At one point of time a permit was required to enter Jammu and Kashmir. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life to work for one nation, one law, one symbol, ending permit raj from Kashmir and making it an integral part of India. We will always be indebted to Mookerjee for this struggle and sacrifice," he said here, according to an official statement.
The home minister said Mookerjee was a unique thinker who believed that the basic purpose of power is not to rule, but to work with a dedicated spirit for nation-building.
Mookerjee's philosophy of cultural nationalism and the idea of adopting policies according to the original culture of India will always guide everyone, Shah said.
Born in Kolkata in 1901, Mookerjee was known for his espousal of Hindu rights and nationalist views. He had quit the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet in 1950 after falling out with him.
He was president of the Hindu Mahasabha and later founded the Jana Sangh, the earlier avatar of the BJP, with the help from the RSS.