PIB post on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death in 1945 fuels controversy
Kolkata/New Delhi: A controversy broke out after the government media arm Press Information Bureau (PIB) in a Facebook post added an image showing 1945 as the year of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death while the mystery still shrouds over his disappearance in the same year after an air crash. Many Bengalis refuse to believe that Netaji had died in the air crash during the last phase of the Second World War when the freedom fighter was travelling globally to rally support for India's freedom from the British rule, especially the Axis power that was against Britain in the War.
The PIB post on FB read: "#PIB remembers the great freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his death anniversary." It is accompanied by an image of Netaji mentioning 1945 as his year of death.
For once the post brought the leaders of political rivals in West Bengal on the same page.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "On this day, in 1945, Netaji went on a flight from Taihoku Airport in Taiwan, only to disappear forever. We still do not know what happened to him. People have a right to know about the great son of the soil."
On this day, in 1945, Netaji went on a flight from Taihoku Airport in Taiwan, only to disappear forever. We still do not know what happened to him. People have a right to know about the great son of the soil
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 18, 2019
BJP leader in the state and Netaji kin (a grand nephew) Chandra Kumar Bose also reacted immediately.
Bose, who unsuccessfully fought the Lok Sabha polls this year from a Kolkata constituency posted: "18Aug-on this day in 1945 #NetajiSubhasChandraBose- disappeared from Taihoku. Official version of the Govt-Netaji perished in an aircrash. However many inconsistencies were found. Its [sic] imperative for the Govt to disclose the truth to stop spreading untruth. @narendramodi @AmitShah"
"Gumnami Baba had nothing to do with Netaji! People who are trying to portray Gumnami Baba as Netaji without any clinching evidence are committing an act of sacrilege by denigrating the memory & legacy of the #LiberatorofIndia," Bose tweeted.
18Aug-on this day in 1945 #NetajiSubhasChandraBose- disappeared from Taihoku.Official version of the Govt-Netaji perished in an aircrash.However many inconsistencies were found.Its imperative for the Govt to disclose the truth to stop spreading untruth. @narendramodi @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/ynxacieeCR
— Chandra Kumar Bose (@Chandrabosebjp) August 18, 2019
As per official records, it was on this fateful day, in 1945, Netaji had boarded a Mitsubishi Ki-21 heavy bomber plane which crashed in Taiwan.
However, the Mukherjee Commission probing the mysterious disappearance of Netaji in its 2005 report concluded that the air crash story was planted to give cover to Bose's escape to Soviet Russia. Sever other commissions earlier failed to solve the mystery.
Mukherjee Commission report was rejected by the then Congress government.
Many people in the country believe that Gumnami Baba who lived in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh till 1985 was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This is due to the mystery which surrounds the leader’s death.
However, Chandra Kumar Bose rubbished it.
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