Declare Netaji birth anniversary national holiday: Mamata urges Centre

West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee on Saturday paid homage to freedom fighterNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary and urgedthe Centre to declare January 23 as a national holiday.She also said a monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj,will be built in Rajarhat area and a state-funded university,which is also being set up, will be dedicated to Netaji.....This years Republic Day parade in Kolkata willbe dedicated to Netaji.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday paid homage to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary and urged the Centre to declare January 23 as a national holiday.

She also said a monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj, will be built in the Rajarhat area and a state-funded university, which is also being set up, will be dedicated to Netaji.

''....This year's Republic Day parade in Kolkata will be dedicated to Netaji. A siren will be sounded today at 12.15 PM. We urge everyone to blow shankh (conch) at home. The Centre must also declare January 23 as a National Holiday.

''We are celebrating this day as #DeshNayakDibas. GoWBhas also set up a committee to conduct a year-long celebration still January 23, 2022,'' Banerjee said on Twitter.

A grand 'padayatra' will be held here during the day to commemorate Netaji's 125th birth anniversary.

''A monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj, will be built at Rajarhat. A university named after Netaji is also being set up which shall be funded entirely by the state, and will have tie-ups with foreign universities,'' she said on the microblogging site.

The Centre has decided to observe January 23 as''Parakram Diwas'' to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose, who was born on this day in 1897.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be here later in the day to address ''Parakram Diwas'' celebrations to commemorateBose's birth anniversary.