Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee during a speech at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi, celebrating the party's victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Mukherjee, born on July 6, 1901, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), was a prominent educationist and political leader who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, which later evolved into the BJP. He made significant contributions to education, becoming Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University at the young age of 33. His political career included serving as a minister in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet, but he resigned in 1950 due to ideological differences, particularly regarding national integration and Kashmir. Mukherjee was known for his strong advocacy for a unified India, famously stating, “Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahi chalenge” (One country cannot have two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two flags). He died in custody in 1953 while protesting against Jammu and Kashmir's special status, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate in India's political discourse.