BHUBANESWAR: The growing bonhomie between BJP and BJD reached a new level on Wednesday with senior MP of the regional party Bhartruhari Mahatab backing the saffron party’s demand for a probe into the mysterious death of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Mahatab recalled the resolution passed by West Bengal Assembly urging the Centre to conduct a probe into the death of Mukherjee which he was incarcerated in Kashmir jail.
The BJD MP from Cuttack said that a resolution of the West Bengal Assembly was sent to the Home Ministry requesting for an investigation into the mysterious death of the Mukherjee who was the first Union Minister for Commerce and Industry of independent India. However, no probe has been conducted so far.
Describing Mukherjee as a most popular leader not only in West Bengal but in the entire country, Mahatab said the Jan Sangh leader after relinquishing the ministership had visited Cuttack along with his father Harekrushna Mahatab to Cuttack in 1950 when he was given a rousing reception.
He was strongly opposed to the interpolation of Articles 370 and latter 35A in the Indian constitution which give special power to Jammu and Kashmir. “Since the West Bengal Assembly had passed a resolution demanding an impartial probe into the mysterious death of Mukherjee, I strongly urge upon this house to direct the Government to conduct an investigation into the case,” he said.
Justifying the need for a probe into Mukherjee’s death, Mahatab said the Centre had investigated into the disappearance of Netaji Subash Bose several times. Mahatab’s endorsement to BJP’s demand ahead of the birth anniversary of the veteran leader who was ideologically close to RSS and considered as a proponent of Hindu nationalism was another sign of the BJD inching closure to the saffron party.
The renewed bonhomie between the two parties which bitterly fought recent elections was visible last week when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced his party’s support to BJP-sponsored Rajya Sabha candidate Ashwini Vaishnav, a former IAS officer of Odisha cadre, as a Rajya Sabha candidate when the BJD had the strength to send its third candidate.
It may be recalled that the BJD which shared power with the BJP for nine years from 2000 to 2009 had to part ways with the saffron party over communal riots in Kandhamal. The Chief Minister’s famous statement then that “Every bone in my body is secular” is still fresh in the mind of the people.