Kolkata, Jan 23: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday faced criticism from all political parties in West Bengal for mentioning the date of the demise of Subhas Chandra Bose on his official X handle, while paying tributes to Netaji on his birth anniversary.
In his post, the Congress MP 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 that this was not the first time that the Congress party or one of its leaders had 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.
The BJP’s state President in West Bengal and Union Minister of State, Sukanta Majumdar demanded that Rahul Gandhi apologise for 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 on his part for showing disrespect towards Netaji, who was incidentally 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 that 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.
IANS