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Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was born on 6 July 1901 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). His father, Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, was a renowned educationist and judge in Bengal. Syama Prasad completed his early education in Calcutta and later obtained his law degree from the University of Calcutta.
He was highly active in the field of education. At the young age of 33, he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. Many important educational reforms took place during his tenure.
-Syama Prasad Mookerjee began his political career with the Bengal Legislative Council. He also served as the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha. After independence, he became the Minister for Industry and Supply in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. However, he resigned from the cabinet in 1950 due to policy differences, particularly regarding the Delhi Pact.
In 1951, with the collaboration of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which is the ideological predecessor of today's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He was a staunch supporter of making Kashmir an integral part of India. He gave the famous slogan, "Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur do Nishan nahi chalenge" (Two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two flags will not be tolerated in one country). In 1953, he was arrested for entering Kashmir without a permit, where he passed away under mysterious circumstances while in custody on 23 June 1953.