Mamata Banerjee slams Centre for failing to investigate Netaji's disappearance

Mamata Banerjee said it is a shame that we don't know Netaji's death date and what happened to him. Taking a dig at the Centre for declaring a half-day on Ram Mandir inauguration yesterday, Banerjee said holidays can be announced for political advertisements but not on the birthday of one who sacrificed his life for the freedom of the country.

Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led central government for failing to keep its promise of investigating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's disappearance and also for not declaring a national holiday on the freedom fighter's birthday.

Addressing a programme on the occasion of Netaji's 127th birth anniversary at Red Road Banerjee said, "If there is anyone we have truly followed, it is Netaji. Our government has released 64 files related to him. Before coming to power, you (read BJP) had promised to unravel the mystery behind Netaji's disappearance. But Netaji was forgotten. It is a shame we don't know his death date. We don't know what happened to him. Mamata said a port and dock were named after Netaji but those too were also changed."

The CM regretted for failing to make Netaji's birth anniversary being observed as a national holiday. "I have one regret that despite fighting for almost 20 years, I could not make them declare Netaji's birthday as a national holiday. I'm sorry and ashamed. In this country, political advertisements call for holidays, but holiday is not declared for one who gave up his life for the country's freedom," she said.

Deliberation on Netaji's role in building the society, Banerjee said that the Planning Commission was his brainchild. "This is the misfortune of the country that the man who showed direction to the entire country has been forgotten and his brainchild, Planning Commission was done away with," Banerjee said

Hitting out at the Centre for discarding the Planning Commission, Banerjee said, "When the Planning Commission was in place, every year a meeting was held with the officers and chief secretaries of different states. Direction was given on where to spend money. Today there is no Planning Commission and no plan for the country. There is only one planning and that is 'to kill'. Planning has now turned into brutality, hate politics and divide and rule policy."

She further said that NITI Aayog has now been created but those who do not have 'niti' (principle) cannot have 'Aayog'.

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