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Bengal

Netaji's ideas need to be followed, says Sugata Bose

KOLKATA: In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's damage control by announcing a decision to erect a hologram of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate, Sugata Bose, one of the grandnephews of Netaji and former TMC MP said the best reward to the iconic leader will be to ensure that his 'ideas need to be followed'.

Ahead of Bose's 125th birth anniversary on January 23, the Prime Minister announced on Friday that a grand statue of the legendary freedom fighter will be installed at India Gate as a symbol of India's "indebtedness" to him.

While unveiling the hologram of Netaji, Modi said: "Till the statue, made of granite, is completed, a hologram statue of his will be present at the same place." According to Bose, the best monument to Netaji is to adorn and enlarge his legacy of equality and unity. Such a monument is more important than any statue made of gold, marble or hologram.

Welcoming the Union government's decision to erect a statue of Netaji, he said he would be more happy if more research is done for Netaji.

According to him, it was more important to follow Netaji and Gandhiji's ideals of uniting castes and communities, rather than only erecting any monument or a structure.

"We have not seen that the Modi government has given more priority on giving a tag to the birth anniversary of a leader rather than giving importance to his work. I urge him to give the same importance to Netaji's work also." He said that he personally does not like the tag of Parikrama Diwas which has been given by Modi on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji, but preferred Deshnayak Diwas. Saugata Roy, TMC MP, said: "Modi's patriotism towards Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose came a day after his department canceled the tableau of the leader that was sent from Bengal. This is nothing but a show off towards Netaji and his ideals." As the rejection of West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade snowballed into a major row, Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informing her that the CPWD's float for the occasion pays homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, but her TMC was implacable, saying the state's "dignity has been hurt."

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee had expressed "shock" at the rejection of the state's tableau, themed on Bose and his Indian National Army. It also featured other Bengal icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda and Shri Aurobindo.

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