The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was attacked by all political parties in West Bengal on Thursday for referring to the date of death of Subhas Chandra Bose while paying tributes to Netaji on his birth anniversary.
The Congress MP, in his post, mentioned August 18, 1945, as the reported date of death of the iconic freedom fighter. The date mentioned by the LoP was the same date on which the plane carrying Netaji from Saigon and destined for the then USSR-occupied Manchuria crashed at Taihoku (presently Taipei).
However, none of the commissions set up subsequently on Netaji’s ‘disappearance’ could ever confirm August 18, 1945 as the exact date of his death and a mystery surrounds the fate of the freedom fighter.
The first criticism of the MP came from the All India Forward Bloc, a party founded by Netaji himself after quitting the Congress party. The Forward Bloc Chairman Naren Chatterjee claimed this was not the first time the Congress party or one of its leaders created controversy by distorting facts about Netaji.
"Can Rahul Gandhi give a definitive explanation on how Netaji died on the date mentioned by him? Can he present any proof in support of his claims? It is unthinkable how a person occupying such an important constitutional post in Indian democracy can make such an irresponsible comment," he claimed.
Sukanta Majumdar who is BJP state President in West Bengal and the Union Minister of State, claimed that Rahul Gandhi should apologise regarding the social media post. "I strongly protest against the claim that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died on August 18, 1945, as stated in the social media post by Rahul Gandhi.". I also demand an apology from him for showing disrespect towards Netaji, who incidentally was the first Prime Minister of undivided India. I appeal to all Netaji followers to raise your voices on this issue," Majumdar said.
The Trinamool Congress General Secretary in West Bengal Kunal Ghosh said LoP Gandhi should at least issue a corrigendum in the matter. "Netaji was acknowledged as Prime Minister of the Azad Hind Government set up by him in 1943 by six nations globally then," Ghosh claimed.
“So the date of death of such a personality can’t be arrived at without proper research and documentation. Hence, what he said is not acceptable to the people of Bengal,” said Ghosh. However, not a single Congress leader from West Bengal came forward to make any comments on Rahul Gandhi’s controversial post.
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