Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, addressed a programme organised on Saturday, at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi, on the 100th birth anniversary of Late Shri Kedar Nath Sahani Ji, former Delhi BJP President and former Governor, and recalled his contributions. Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda said that Sahani Ji was one of the founding pillars of the organisation from the Jana Sangh to the BJP and strengthened the Party during adverse circumstances. He established discipline, political propriety and organisational traditions. The Union Minister said that Sahani Ji rendered humanitarian service by rehabilitating refugees, Sikhs and displaced Kashmiri people, and demonstrated the administrative capabilities of the Jana Sangh through good governance in Delhi. Shri Nadda called upon Party Karyakartas to make politics a medium for serving society and rebuilding the nation. During the programme, Delhi BJP President and Union Minister of State Shri Harsh Malhotra, Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Shri Vijender Gupta, former Union Minister Shri Harsh Vardhan, Shri Pradeep Sahani and other dignitaries were present.
Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda said that today, on 24 October 2026, we are celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of our revered Shri Kedarnath Sahani Ji. I congratulate the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the entire team for organising this programme. Those present here have worked with Sahani Ji for a long time. If, by remembering the important aspects of his life, we too can contribute something to society, his birth anniversary will become meaningful. Whenever we talk about Sahani Ji, we become emotional. Sahani Ji was endowed with multifaceted talent and was a ‘standalone personality’. He was a person who stood apart both in a crowd and in his thinking. His political vision and lifestyle were, in themselves, a school of learning. I will say clearly, ‘He was never a follower, he was always a leader.’ Today, working for the Party is not a big deal, because you are applauded everywhere. But in those adverse circumstances, when there was neither respect for the ideology nor any welcome for it, Sahani Ji worked to build the Party.
Union Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda stated that we achieved our first success in Delhi, the credit for which goes to Shri Kedarnath Sahani Ji. He established traditions, systems and a working style within the Party. He used to say that if you take care of small things, great achievements will follow automatically. But if you compromise on small things in pursuit of a great achievement, the ground will slip from beneath your feet. Political propriety and unconditional commitment were part of his nature. When something was done improperly, he did not turn a blind eye; rather, he examined every small detail. There is a saying, ‘A man is known by the long shadow he leaves.’ Sahani Ji was one of the founding members from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh to the Bharatiya Janata Party and was a cornerstone of the organisation. He strongly insisted on establishing ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ within the organisation. During my days in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), whenever clashes took place between ABVP and the Janata Vidyarthi Morcha, he would take an interest, gather in-depth information about every small and big detail, and find a solution. When I had newly joined the BJP and Shri Lal Krishna Advani Ji was contesting the election from New Delhi, the entire election work was being conducted under Sahani Ji’s supervision. He would reach the election office every day at 8 a.m., decide the day’s action plan, and in the evening, look after the concerns of every young Karyakarta. Under his leadership, an election that had become completely sluggish could be brought into a competitive position within just five to six days.
Shri Nadda asserted that when Sahani Ji came to Delhi from Rawalpindi, he himself was also going through difficulties. Despite this, instead of worrying about settling himself, he was concerned about the people living in refugee camps and led the work of their permanent rehabilitation. During this period, he also laid the foundation of the Jana Sangh. By travelling to slums and colonies, he gradually made the Party successful. From becoming a Party member in 1958 to becoming Deputy Mayor in 1967 and subsequently a member of the Standing Committee, Sahani Ji took a firm stand against those who compromised with the Party’s ideology and discipline. He was not afraid of becoming a minority. His concern was to build a cadre-based and disciplined Party. When the Jana Sangh government was formed in Delhi, facilities such as water, electricity and roads reached slum settlements for the first time. Under Sahani Ji’s leadership, the Jana Sangh made its first mark in the field of governance and proved that ‘We Make a Difference’. During the Emergency, the provisions of MISA remained imposed against him. Instead of going to jail, he went underground and worked as a point of contact across the country, taking forward the organisation’s work. In 1977, he became the Chief Executive Councillor. Later, despite becoming the Governor of Sikkim and Goa, he remained connected not to a position, but to the ideology.
Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda said that when atrocities were committed against Sikh brothers in 1984, Sahani Ji made a tremendous contribution to protecting them and rehabilitating them. He did not wait for anyone’s instructions to carry out this work. Similarly, when Kashmiri brothers were displaced from Srinagar and arrived elsewhere, he took the initiative himself and undertook their rehabilitation. The objective was not to gain any political advantage; rather, it was entirely an act of service to humanity. Sahani Ji was extremely punctual and disciplined. When the Party was in its infancy, by running a government in Delhi, he convinced the public that the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the BJP also knew how to govern. Otherwise, we used to be labelled as people who ‘only know how to protest and struggle; governing is simply not within their capabilities’. Sahani Ji changed this perception by providing good governance in Delhi. Today, as we enter the centenary year of his birth, this is an opportunity for introspection. Today, the BJP is the world’s largest political party, and we have capable leadership in the form of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. India’s stature is being recognised across the world, but the roots of this banyan tree are nourished by the sweat and sacrifice of dedicated individuals like Sahani Ji. It is the responsibility of all of us as Party Karyakartas to regard politics not merely as a means of attaining power, but as a medium for serving society and rebuilding the nation.
