New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the main program that will be organised to mark the 125th birth anniversary celebration of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, which will be held at Kolkata's Victoria Hall, said Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Tuesday.
The central government has decided to celebrate Subhash Chandra Bose's birth anniversary on January 23 as 'Parakram Diwas' every year.
Last month, Prime Minister Modi had urged people to mark the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a grand manner.
He had said in a tweet that Netaji's bravery is well-known and he was a scholar, soldier and statesman par excellence.
Soon after the central government's announcement of commemorating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday as 'Parakram Diwas', Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Member of Parliament Saugata Roy termed the move a political gimmick.
Roy claimed that the central government has declared Netaji's birthday as 'Parakram Diwas' with the aim to reap political benefits ahead of Assembly polls in Bengal.
Speaking to media, he said, "We do not appreciate politics in Netaji's name. If the Prime Minister wanted to do it, he could have done it six months ago. Why is he doing this on the eve of Netaji's birthday and ahead of Assembly elections in the state?"
Expressing displeasure over the name 'Parakram Diwas', Roy said, "We are not satisfied with Government of India's decision to celebrate Netaji's birthday as 'Parakram Diwas'. It should be 'Deshprem Diwas'. We believe Netaji deserves much better. We will observe this day on our own with Mamata Banerjee leading a procession in the state."
Born on January 23, 1897, Netaji played a crucial role in India's freedom movement. Subhash Chandra Bose had also established the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is controversy over Bose's death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI (Right to Information) in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident.
(With inputs from agency)
