Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday attended the commemorative programme marking the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Kolkata as the chief guest, where he paid tribute to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder and outlined the West Bengal government’s roadmap for building a “Sonar Bangla.”
A video message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also screened during the event, which was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, HM Shah said the foundation stone laid for a 125-foot-tall statue of Mookerjee symbolised more than the construction of a monument.
“When a nationalist government comes to power in West Bengal, the foundation stone for a 125-foot-tall statue of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his birth anniversary will not merely mark the beginning of a monument, but the beginning of the resolve to build ‘Sonar Bangla’,” he said.
HM Shah said a Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute dedicated to research on India’s security would also be established alongside the memorial.
Paying tribute to Mookerjee, HM Shah said he had made the supreme sacrifice for the integration of Kashmir with India and had resigned from the country’s first Union Cabinet in protest against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact because he believed India’s policies should reflect the nation’s ethos and aspirations.
He congratulated the West Bengal government for declaring Mookerjee’s birth anniversary a public holiday.
“Congratulations to the West Bengal Government for declaring Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s birth anniversary a public holiday,” HM Shah said.
The Home Minister said Mookerjee’s life was multidimensional and that he consistently translated his ideals into action. He said the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder sowed the seed of cultural nationalism by bringing together nationalist forces across the country.
“The seed that Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee sowed in the form of our party has grown into a banyan tree and his vision of building a modern India rooted in its cultural heritage is being realised under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” HM Shah said.
Highlighting Mookerjee’s ideological legacy, HM Shah said he believed independent India’s policies should emerge from the country’s own civilisational ethos rather than imitate Western models.
“Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee believed that the policies of independent India should be rooted in the fragrance of India’s own soil, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a strong beginning has been made in that direction,” he said.
HM Shah credited PM Modi with fulfilling Mookerjee’s long-standing demand of “Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan” through the abrogation of Article 370.
“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi fulfilled Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s resolve of ‘Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan’ by abrogating Article 370; today, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” he said.
Referring to Mookerjee’s resignation over the Nehru-Liaquat Pact, HM Shah said the current government had enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus.
He also asserted that the Centre would continue action against illegal infiltration.
“The process of identifying and deporting infiltrators has begun in West Bengal. We will identify and remove every infiltrator to make India even more secure,” HM Shah said.
Calling Mookerjee the ideological source of several nationalist principles, HM Shah said his vision continued to guide the country.
“Whether it is cultural nationalism, the resolve for an undivided India, or the vision of ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee is the common source of all these nationalist ideals,” he said.
HM Shah also highlighted measures undertaken by the newly formed West Bengal government, including the implementation of the Annapurna Scheme, Ujjwala 3.0, free bus travel for women and girl students, the Lakhpati Didi Mission, Ayushman Bharat coverage for the poor, the construction of a cancer hospital in North Bengal and land transfer for border fencing.
He said a committee headed by Justice Brijendra Nath had been constituted to investigate corruption cases.
“A committee has been constituted to investigate corruption in West Bengal. As soon as its report is submitted, those involved in corruption should be ready to return every single penny,” HM Shah said.
The Home Minister said the government had also constituted a committee to investigate crimes against women and approved prosecution in long-pending corruption cases.
He added that a committee had been formed to examine the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state.
HM Shah said the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026 had been passed to deal firmly with criminals.
“In line with the promise to deal firmly with criminals, the Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been passed in West Bengal, and the Durga Suraksha Squad has been constituted to ensure the safety and security of women,” he said.
Concluding his address, HM Shah said Bengal had historically provided leadership to the country in cultural, intellectual and nationalist spheres and expressed confidence that the current government would fulfil its promises and realise the vision of a prosperous “Sonar Bangla.”
“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’,” he said.
