At a time when Netaji’s grandnephew’s final request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing back mortal remains of the freedom fighter remain unanswered, the Centre has denied permission to a Durgapur youth for setting up a memorial of the leader in New Delhi.

Somnath Gupta, a TV actor from Durgapur had sought Centre’s participation in setting up a Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial in New Delhi. After replying in negative to Gupta’s Right to Information queries in 2020, the ministry of housing & urban affairs also hinted Gupta that the memorial couldn’t be set up due to restrictions. The section officer in the ministry, Bimala Bagga, stated: “The decision taken by the Union Cabinet on 18 October, 2014, a total ban has been imposed on development of samadhi and conversion of government bungalows into memorials of the departed leaders.”

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A hopeless Gupta said, “This made me clear that New Delhi will never accommodate a Netaji memorial, which is heartbreaking.”

Interestingly, referring to a note from the President’s secretariat on setting up a memorial of Netaji in Delhi, R P Bahuguna, secretary, ministry of culture stated, “Since erection of memorial concern the ministry of urban development as per the ‘Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, the reference may kindly be considered for further necessary action.”

“Pranab Mukherjee was President of India when this note was issued,” Gupta said, adding, “Meanwhile, the Centre has declared to set up a memorial of the same Mr Mukherjee.”

On 9 January, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose had made a request to PM Narendra Modi for his active intervention in bringing the mortal remains of Netaji from Renkoji temple. Chandra Bose stated: “After the release of all the files it is evident that Netaji perished on 18 August 1945, it is therefore imperative that a final statement is made from the central government, so that false narratives about the Liberator of India are laid to rest.”

Bose told The Statesman on Netaji’s 128th birth anniversary, “It is a height of dishonour that his remains should remain in a foreign land. Our family gives stress in building the nation the way Netaji had dreamt of, where there is no discrimination based on caste, creed and religion.”