New Delhi, Oct 15: Accepting long-pending demands of family members of Subhas Chandra Bose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that the government would declassifying secret files related to Netaji.
PM Modi made the announcement after meeting family members of Netaji today at 7 RCR.
He said that the government will start unveiling the secret files related to Bose from January 23 next year and said that there was no need to strangle history.
The assurance by the PM was hailed by family members of Netaji who hoped that the 'historic' decision would finally lift the veil over his mysterious disappearance.
"Today is the Independence Day of India,” said Chandra Bose, grandnephew of Netaji, as per ANI.
He was among 35 members of Bose's family who met PM Modi at his residence this evening.
He noted that the earlier governments tended to 'hide' these files whereas PM Modi had decided to make them public.
Also, hailing the decision, Netaji's niece Chitra Ghosh hoped that declassification would give answers to so many theories that have been going around about Bose.
Criticising the previous governments for not taking such a decision, she said she was hoping that the Prime Minister would agree to declassify the files but was not expecting him to give a specific date for the same.
"It came as really surprising," she said, as per PTI.
Meanwhile, PM Modi took to Twitter and wrote: “It was a privilege to welcome family members of Subhas Babu to 7RCR. We had a remarkable and extensive interaction. I told Subhas Babu's family members - please consider me a part of your family. They shared their valuable suggestions with me.”
“There is no need to strangle history. Nations that forget their history lack the power to create it. Process of declassification of files relating to Netaji will begin on 23rd January 2016, Subhas Babu's birth anniversary,” he added.
“Will also request foreign governments to declassify files on Netaji available with them. Shall begin this with Russia in December,” the PM further wrote.
"He extended lots of hope to us saying that January 23 will be the first step of declassification. Finally, there is hope that the veil over Netaji's death will be removed, as the PM himself has assured us," said another relative Arya Bose said.
And Abheejet Ray, a nephew of Bose, said, "The Prime Minister agreed to the need for declassification of files and papers on Netaji and INA. He said like you I also feel from the heart that these papers should be out and declassified."
Quoting Modi, he said that "every good occasion had to be a good day and that is why he has chosen January 23 next year, the day Netaji was born, as a milestone from where the process of declassification of files on Netaji and INA will start."
Reacting to the developments today BJP's Siddharth Nath Singh called it 'a historic moment'.
“Entire country is jubilant because 70 years of wait for the real history to come out has finally taken shape,” he added.
On the other hand the Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi asked the government, “Why does it take you 18 months to merely pass a two line order of declassifying files.”
However he also said, “We are welcoming it. We are very happy with it. Congress has been repeating for last several months that instead of declassifying it tomorrow, declassify it today.”
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were also present at the meeting.
Rajnath tweeted: “Met the family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's residence today.”
Successive governments have refused to make public these documents, arguing that India's relations with foreign countries would be jeopardised. Modi's office too had stated till August this year that the files cannot be declassified as it will adversely affect relations with foreign countries.
The demands for declassification of secret files have been growing lately, especially after the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal recently declassified 64 files which were in its possession.
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