Narendra Modi declassifies 100 secret files on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declassified files related to the disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the national capital.

After the Bose’s family members had sought the government gathered all related files of Netaji, and the West Bengal Government had declassified 64 files in its custody.

These files, being placed in the public domain after preliminary conservation treatment and digitisation, will also facilitate further research on Netaji’s struggle for India’s freedom. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, and Minister of State Babul Supriyo were present on the occasion.

“The way the Prime Minister has carried this out raises doubts about intentions of Modi government, the nation needs to understand this”, Sharma told reporters here dismissing suggestions by some of Netaji’s relatives that Congress had always tried to suppress truth about Bose.

A year ago a first lot of 33 secret files were declassified by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and was later handed over to the National Archives of India on December 4.

The National Archives received 990 declassified files pertaining to the Indian National Army (INA) from the defence ministry in 1997. “But, other Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the temple to show their respect”, he said of Modi’s Japan tour previous year.

Family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on Saturday expressed happiness over the declassification of over 100 secret files and suggested setting up of a committee to study them and inform the public about the various landmarks in his life. He said the Congress has said this was a controversy “from the very beginning”, ANI reported. However, only a part of the files are going to be out. He deserves that honour – Mamata Benerjee via Twitter.

Declassification of NetajiSubhasChandraBose files now makes me wanna read #lalbahadurshastri Ji files too. At a time when there are series of allegations on the Nehru government for spending lakhs of rupees on spying on Netaji’s families, these files are important link, many claim.

In another tweet, Modi said, “Remembering Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. Grateful to PM for the initiative of de-classifying Netaji files”, he said.

“I don’t think the majority, the Hindus have anything against the Muslims, Christians or Jews or Parsees, I think this is a constructed political agenda, and if we have to fight that, we have to follow Netaji’s vision of equity and justice”, said Sen.