The man who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the predecessor of the modern day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a fearless and outspoken Indian politician who was very expressive about his thoughts and what he believed to be correct. He served as a Minister for Industry and Supply in the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet but resigned from the cabinet in protest against the 1950 pact between Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan Prime Minister Liaquat Ali. The pact proposed to establish minority commissions and guarantee minority rights in both countries. He felt the need for a new, more democratic party and thus founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh party. He was a staunch Hindu—though by no means anti-Muslim—and is considered the Godfather of modern Hindu nationalism. He was born into an eminent family where his father held a very high position in the Indian jurisdiction. A brilliant student, he graduated at the top of his class in English and went on to pursue a legal career in his father’s footsteps. He went to England to study to become a barrister though he plunged head on into politics on his return to India.