Jana Sangh formed, promises to take on Cong, reunify India

HT’s report on Bharatiya Jana Sangh entering political landscape as a pan-country party

- HT Correspondent

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was on October 21 launched as an all-India political party at a convention in New Delhi. The convention, which was attended by about 300 delegates, elected Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee as president of the Sangh.

In his presidential address, Dr Mookerjee said the Sangh would function as the principal party in Opposition. He denied Mr Jawaharlal Nehru’s charge of communalism against the party.

Defining the objectives of the Sangh he said: “We believe in the goal of a reunited Bharat. We would like it to be achieved through peaceful means and through the realisation by the people of both countries (India and Pakistan) that such reunion will be of benefit to the masses and will make the country a real bulwark of peace and freedom.”

Dr Mookerjee said they had thrown open their party to all citizens of Bharat irrespective of caste, creed or community. “A bare examination of the programme would convince any right-thinking man that the charge of communalism was perversion of truth. The charge of pandering to communalism really lay at the door of the Congress and especially against Mr Nehru himself.”