After Sardar Patel, BJP shifts focus on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, plans to celebrate 75th anniversary of INA

NEW DELHI: The political fight over the legacy of top national leaders who played a major role in the country's freedom movement is likely to intensify as the ruling BJP has now decided to celebrate the 75th foundation day of the Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) raised by 'Netaji' Subhas Chandra Bose on October 21.

According to reports, the party has planned to organise various events from New Delhi to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the INA on October 21.

Survivors of the INA, Indian armed forces veterans and followers of 'Netaji' Subhas Chandra Bose will unfurl the national flag at the Red Fort on October 21 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Azad Hind Government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly agreed to attend the event and unfurl the Tricolour at the Red Fort on October 21. 

PM Modi will also inaugurate the Azad Hind Museum to mark the occasion.
 
Netaji’s grand-nephew and BJP West Bengal vice-president Chandra Kumar Bose and the chairman of SNSMT Suparno Satpathy had earlier requested the PM to inaugurate the Azad Hind Museum at the Red Fort on October 21 and hoist the Tricolour to commemorate the occasion.

“The record of India needs to be set correct; our first Government came into being on October 21, 1943 and not on August 15, 1947,” socio-political leader and chairman of SNSMT Suparno Satpathy had said.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had established the provincial Azad Hind Government in Singapore on October 21, 1943. On August 14, 1944, the Bahadur Brigade of the INA, led by Colonel Saukat Ali Malik, captured Moirang - a town in Manipur on the Indo-Myanmar border.

Moirang remained under the control of the Azad Hind Government for nearly four months during which its currency and stamps too were used.

The Azad Hind Government had then been recognised by 11 countries and it had its embassies in other countries too.

INA members who are still alive, including Lalti Ram, Jagir Singh, Pramanand, Jag Ram and Ram Gopal, will be among those who will attend the event in the national capital. 

Veterans of Indian armed forces will be led by the highly decorated Major General (retd) GD Bakshi who has also authored the best-seller book 'Bose or Gandhi - Who got India her freedom? '

On December 30, PM Modi will arrive in Port Blair where he will unfurl a 150-foot-long national flag as part of the celebrations to mark the platinum jubilee of the establishment of the INA.

PM will also issue a postal stamp and a coin in the honour of 'Netaji' and later visit the Cellular jail, where several freedom fighters were kept during the British Rule.

On this day in the year 1943, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the National Flag for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground (present Netaji Stadium) in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands, the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule. 

The BJP's move to hold big-ticket celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of INA comes at a time when the clamour for declassifying confidential files related to Netaji's mysterious death has become louder.

Netaji's family members and his followers have been demanding the government to bring his ashes back to India from Japan and unravel the mystery behind the iconic leader's death.

By raking up the Netaji card, BJP wants to strike an emotional chord with voters in West Bengal, where the saffron party has gained some ground and hopes to challenge the Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.