Now, BJP eyes legacy of Netaji

New Delhi: After Sardar Patel and B.R. Ambedkar, the BJP is now eyeing the socialist Bengal icon- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who had declared war on the British to free India, in what appears to be an effort to whip up patriotic sentiments for electoral gains by showcasing achievements of freedom fighters and recalling the legacy of national heroes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a function at the historic Red Fort on October 21 to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the provisional government of “Free India” (Azad Hind) and the inception of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army).

At the event, to be held weeks before Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister is also expected to unfurl the tricolour to mark the occasion.

In the presence of veterans associated with the INA, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Azad Hind Fauj museum.

Apart from this, Mr Modi will also be visiting Port Blair on December 30, where Netaji Bose had unfurled the tricolour for the first time in 1943 when the country was still under the British rule. Mr Modi will unfurl a 150-feet-high tricolour and will also release commemorative coin and stamp to mark the occasion. He will later visit the Cellular Jail where several freedom fighters were sent by the British.

Netaji Bose is considered as one of the heroes of the Indian freedom struggle, who still has a major following, especially in West Bengal where the BJP is trying to spread its organisational base.

After coming to power, the BJP led NDA government had declassified many files related to Bose, whose death still remains a mystery for many.

During the 2016 Assembly polls in West Bengal, the BJP had fielded Bose’s grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, against chief minister Mamata Banerjee.