AIFB General Secretary urges govt to formally accept Mukherjee Commission Report

New Delhi: The Union government should formally accept the Mukherjee Commission Report and immediately constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to declassify remaining files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, All India Forward Bloc General Secretary G Devarajan said on Friday.

He was speaking at an event organised by the party to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as 'Deshprem Divas', the party said in a statement.

A large public programme was later held at Netaji Subhas Park, Daryaganj, which witnessed the participation of hundreds of people from all walks of life, including party leaders, social activists, youth, and admirers of Netaji, the AIFB said.

Addressing the gathering, Devarajan demanded that the government formally accept the report and constitute an SIT to declassify remaining files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Indian National Army (INA) and the Azad Hind Sarkar — the Provisional Government of Free India established by Netaji in exile.

He emphasised that full disclosure of historical truth is essential for the national conscience and justice.

He also said the government should refrain from bringing the "so-called mortal remains (ashes) of Netaji, which are reportedly kept at Renkoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan." "The Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee Commission of Enquiry, the last enquiry commission constituted by the Government of India, had categorically concluded that no plane crash occurred at Taihoku Airport in Taiwan on 18th August 1945," he said.

Devarajan asserted that, in view of the Mukherjee Commission's findings, the narrative regarding Netaji's ashes being preserved at Renkoji Temple is false, baseless and misleading.

"Any attempt to bring so-called ashes to India would amount to a grave disrespect to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and would deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians who hold Netaji in the highest reverence," he said.

The programme concluded with a renewed pledge to uphold the ideals of patriotism, secularism, and uncompromising nationalism championed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the statement said.

A series of programmes was organised in Delhi to commemorate the "life, ideals, and unmatched contribution of Netaji to India's freedom struggle," it said.

At Netaji Bhawan, the headquarters of the All India Forward Bloc in Delhi, the party flag was hoisted by G. Devarajan, General Secretary of the Party.

Floral tributes were paid by garlanding the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, marking the beginning of the day-long commemorative events.

AIFB is a left-wing nationalist political party, which was founded by Bose in 1939 as a faction within the Congress known as Forward Bloc. It was later formalised as a separate party in 1940.