Netaji's daughter slams controversy over Republic Day tableau

Amid a controversy over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade themed on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army, his daughter Anita Bose-Pfaff said on Monday the legendary freedom fighter's legacy has often been "partly exploited" for political reasons.

She minced no words while acknowledging the fanfare that marked the start of the 125th birth anniversary year celebrations of Bose in 2021 in Kolkata had something to do with the elections in West Bengal.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, voicing her "shock" at the rejection of the tableau, which also featured other Bengal icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and others.

We can't imagine that the Republic Day function in the year when my father would have turned 125 is being held and his tableau was not included, it seems very strange," Bose-Pfaff told PTI in a telephonic interview from Germany where she lives.

"And last year, the opening of the anniversary year was celebrated in a bigger way, of all places in Kolkata, (it) had something to do with election and election prospects in Bengal.

The fact that nothing happened this year....certainly the issue is not as important as last year," she said.

Banerjee, while urging the prime minister to reconsider the decision, said it will cause "pain" to the people of West Bengal.

She said no reason was put forth for rejecting the tableau.

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