Cabinet approves decision to rename Kolkata port as Syama Prasad Mookerjee port

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday announced that the Cabinet has approved the decision to rename the Kolkata port to Kolkata Syama Prasad Mookerjee port. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the decision on January 11 in Kolkata.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee founded Bharatiya Jana Sangh that later became the BJP. He was independent India’s first Minister of Industry and Supply

Syama Prasad Mookerjee was known to be a harsh critic of the Congress party in independent India. He was against Article 370 and had expressed his displeasure at special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

He was also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946. Mookerjee was arrested there by the J&K Police and later died in the custody on 23 June, 1953.