Paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who had founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he devoted his life to India's unity and progress, and his lofty ideals motivate millions across the nation.

Mookerjee led a campaign against Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, and died under detention in the erstwhile state in 1953.

He was born in Calcutta in 1901.

The Jana Sangh was the progenitor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was founded in 1980.

The Modi government nullified Article 370 in 2019, fulfilling a foundational agenda of the BJP.

In a tweet, Modi said, "I bow to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his Jayanti. His lofty ideals motivate millions across our nation. Dr. Mookerjee devoted his life towards India's unity and progress. He also distinguished himself as a remarkable scholar and intellectual."