New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI): Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru had committed a “historic blunder” in Kashmir by calling a ceasefire when Pakistan-backed tribal raiders were being repulsed in 1948.

Shah was speaking at an event at the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library here to commemorate Bhartiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

He said if Nehru had not declared a ceasefire, the Jammu & Kashmir problem would not have existed today.

”Suddenly, without any reason....the reason is not known even today, truce was declared. Never has any leader of the country made such a historic blunder. If Jawaharlal-ji had not declared a ceasefire at that time, the Kashmir issue would not have existed,” Shah said.

He claimed that the ceasefire was declared to improve “one's (Nehru's) personal image,” and lamented that because of this a part of Kashmir is now with Pakistan.

Tathagata Roy, Tripura’s governor, raised questions over the circumstances leading to Mookerjee's death in Kashmir in 1953 where he had gone to participate in a protest. Roy raised questions about Nehru's handling of the events and the decision not to conduct an inquiry into it.

Shah, lauding the Jan Sangh founder's role, said he had played a key role in raising the concerns of Hindus in Bengal.

“If Calcutta is a part of India, and one person has to be given credit for it, it is Syama Prasad Mookerjee,” Shah said.