Ahead of LS polls, Bengal BJP launches campaign on Bose

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the West Bengal BJP has launched a state wide campaign highlighting Subhas Chandra Bose’s contribution to the country.

According to party sources, the BJP will hold discussions on Bose in every district till the Lok Sabha elections.

The state BJP leadership has also accused the Congress of not giving due respect to Bose.

“The BJP will hold discussions on Netaji with party workers and civil society members in every district of Bengal. The move is aimed towards paying homage to Netaji’s contribution to nation building,” Chandra Bose, the grand nephew of Subhas Chandra Bose and state BJP vice president told DH.

He also said that the first of such discussions was held on Saturday in Paschim Medinipur district of Bengal.

Accusing the Congress of not giving due respect to Netaji, Chandra Bose said that it is only the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has undertaken several initiatives to pay homage to Netaji.

“The Prime Minister will inaugurate a museum on Netaji at Red Fort on January 23 (on Netaji’s birthday). What Narendra Modii is doing now, Jawaharlal Nehru could have done long ago. But the Congress has always deliberately ignored Netaji,” he said.

Chandra Bose also demanded that Netaji’ birthday January 23, 1897 be declared as ”Mukti Divas” ( the day of freedom) and the Andaman and Nicobar islands be renamed as “Sahid Swaraj Dwip (island).

He further claimed that only “Netaji’s ideology can take the nation ahead and the BJP is the only political party which is sincere about upholding it.

The state Congress however, rubbished the allegation and accused the BJP of “clinging to Netaji” for political mileage ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“Since Chandra Bose is in the BJP it is obvious that he will dance to their tunes. But can he tell the name of anyone who revered Netaji more than Nehru? the BJP has suddenly remembered Netaji because the elections are approaching,” state Congress president Somen Mitra said.

He further claimed that the BJP was “suddenly eager” about Netaji as it has “miserably failed” on the economic front.

“The BJP government has totally destroyed the economy with steps like demonetisation and they are well aware that people will teach them a lesson in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Mitra said.