Congress party on Sunday allayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that they, while in power for several years, neglected the contribution of freedom fighters like Subhas Chandra Bose.
Speaking to agencies, former law minister and senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar said, “As far as Netaji’s sacrifices are concerned neither the Congress party nor the country has never neglected his sacrifices.”
Earlier on Sunday, after unfurling the national flag at the Red Fort to mark the 75th anniversary of the ‘Azad Hind government’ headed by Subhas Chandra Bose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said “that several good sons of the Nation like him (Bose) as well as Ambedkar (B R Ambedkar) and Patel (Vallabhbhai Patel) were forgotten in the favour of one family.”
But Kumar said, “Congress has always considered Netaji Subhash Bose in high esteem. Not only that, the Congress being the party of freedom movement has given a special place and an honour at all times and at all places to Neta ji. In my view, the Prime Minister’s statement, given the fact that the elections are just around the corner, is factually wrong and is totally incorrect. I don’t agree with him.”
This day in 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose established the provincial Azad Hind government in Singapore.
After nearly a year, in August, his Indian National Army captured the Manipuri town of Moirang, which remained under the Azad Hind government for four months during which it had its own currency.
This provincial government had been acknowledged by 11 countries, including Japan.
The Prime Minister said Bose promised an India where everyone would be undivided by religions and have equal rights, but those dreams even after years of independence, remain unfulfilled.
“We have reached ‘Swaraj’ after lakhs of sacrifices. It is our responsibility to maintain this ‘Swaraj’ with ‘Suraaj’,” Prime Minister Modi said.
