PMO, MHA ignorant of circumstances of SP Mukherjee death

By Anindya Banerjee

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh that later re-emerged as the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), continues to be the guiding light for his followers decades after found dead under the mysterious circumstances.

His slogan -- "Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan" (One nation, one flag, one PM) -- was resurrected after the BJP government abrogated Article 370 on August 5.

However, the circumstances of Mukherjee's death remains an enigma.

A Right to Information (RTI) reply, which IANS accessed, has at least two central entities -- the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) -- maintaining ignorance about the circumstances of his death.

The PMO and the MHA have given in writing that they don't have any files that relates to Mukherjee's death.

Of the four questions, the third specifically asks, "How many files do the MHA and the PMO hold regarding the death of Mukherjee".

The MHA replied on August 30: "The information" in respect of the question "is NIL".

In another reply from the MHA's internal security division, three days after the abovementioned reply, reiterated they didn't have any files in their possession. Even the MHA's "Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs" said, the information asked for was "not available".

What's more? On September 5, the PMO said, "Reference is invited to your application dated 09.08.2019, on the subject mentioned above. In this regard, it is informed that no such information is available in this office".

Diptasya Jash, who had filed the RTI, told IANS, "It's rather interesting that the BJP-led government has no idea how 'its founder' died under the mysterious circumstances, decades ago. It suggests two things -- either the files pertaining to his death have been destroyed by the previous dispensation or there is a genuine indifference towards Mukherjee on the part of this government."

Mukherjee, Minister of Industry and Supply in the Jawahar Lal Nehru government, was at the forefront for abrogation of Article 370 since the Jan Sangh days. He had questioned the existence of 'sadar-e-riyasat' in J&K instead of a governor.

Mukherjee, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had entered J&K on May 11, 1953, without a permit -- a necessity in those days -- to demand the state's complete integration.

Mukherjee was arrested by the J&K Police and later died in the custody on 23 June, 1953. Since then, the death has given rise to many conspiracy theories, some from within the BJP itself.

But Jash seems to be disappointed at the replies he received. "I appeal Amit Shah to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to find out whether any probe was ordered into his death. If not, why not? And if yes, where are the files? If BJP government won't pay heed to this, then which government will?", said Jash, a resident of West Bengal.

But the truth remains, even after more than 66 years of his eerie death, no one has any clue how did he die.