TMC seeks release of defence ministry book on Azad Hind Fauj

Days before India celebrates the125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the TMCon Wednesday demanded that a book chronicling the history ofAzad Hind Fauj (INA) - compiled by the history division ofthe defence ministry decades ago -- be made public.

TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, during a press meet here,said the book, edited by historian P C Gupta, is stillawaiting release, as both the UPA and the NDA governments atthe Centre did not take any initiative to get it published.

He claimed that the Prime Minister's Office and thedefence ministry have several files on Netaji and his exploitslying with them, all under wraps.

''I have raised the issue many times in the RajyaSabha,'' he said.

Roy also pointed out that Bengal Chief Minister''Mamata Banerjee, however, released all Netaji-related filesavailable with the state government''.

Talking about the defence ministry manuscript on INA,he said Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India,responding to an RTI filed by some Chandrachur Ghosh ofHaryana in 2009, had ordered its release.

''...but the then UPA government said more details willbe added to the book before its release, a proposal turneddown by a single bench of the High Court. The court orderedthe book cannot be edited further and had to be released inits original form.

''Subsequently, the government moved the division benchand the case is still pending,'' the Rajya Sabha MP explained.

He claimed that pages from 186 to 191 of the book hadsaid Netaji did not die in a plane crash, a conclusion alsoarrived at by the Mukherjee Commission -- which was formed bythe then Congress government to inquire into the freedomfighter's mysterious disappearance.

''Both the Congress and the BJP are indifferent to thelegacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who had formed theIndian National Army (INA). As many as 26,000 soldiers of thatforce had laid down their lives,'' he added.