PM Modi invites family members of Netaji; meeting today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his residence here this evening when they are expected to reiterate their call for declassification of all files related to his mysterious disappearance 70 years ago. In a tweet last night, he described it as a special day and an “honour”.

“The Prime Minister will meet the family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose tomorrow – October 14th, 2015”, a PMO statement said.

In his “Mann Ki Baat” programme on All India Radio on September 20, Mr. Modi had said that he would be meeting about 50 members of Netaji’s family at his residence here in October. “Over 50 members of Subhas babu’s family, from various countries, will be coming…” I am happy to welcome them. “In 2005, the Justice Mukherjee commission successfully unearthed enough evidence to debunk the whole theory, and with the declassification of 64 files by the West Bengal government, it has become even clearer. Keeping that in mind, I feel PM Modi will ensure the truth about Netaji’s disappearance would be settled once and for all”.

Netaji’s grandnephew Chandra Bose has said, “We will appeal to Modi to write to countries including Singapore, Japan, China, Russia, Malaysia, America, United Kingdom and Japan to declassify all Netaji files lying with them, as it was believed that, Netaji was in touch with all the countries”.

Netaji’s daughter, 72-year-old Anita Bose Pfaff, who had also urged the PM to declassify the files, however, is not expected to be at today’s gathering.

On the other side, Abhijit Ray, another grand nephew, of Netaji questions that, when Indian government itself could not declassify all the files, how can we ask the other countries to do so.