Now, Cong too claims Netaji’s legacy ahead of WB Assembly polls

New Delhi, Jan 21 : With Assembly elections in West Bengal around the corner, the Congress too has now jumped into the political fray after BJP and TMC to claim Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s legacy, by promising to build his “tallest statue” in the eastern state.
Congress West Bengal affairs incharge Jitin Prasada said: “The BJP is now thinking of Netaji when the Assembly elections are nearing. Why did it not build his statue in the last six years, like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue in Gujarat? The Congress will build the tallest statue of Netaji if voted to power in the state.” The Congress move on the renowned freedom fighter comes after the tug of war between ruling Trinamool and the opposition BJP in Bengal to “own” Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj founder Netaji, who was in the Congress before he formed the INA to fight the British.
Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced that Netaji’s birth anniversary on January 23 will be celebrated as ‘Desh Nayak Diwas’, hours after the Centre declared that the day will be observed as ‘Prakram Diwas’.
The Chief Minister had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand that a national holiday be declared on January 23 to honour Netaji. Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly are slated to be held in April-May 2021.
Bose was elected the Congress President in 1938, but soon after his re-election in 1939, he was ousted from the leadership positions following alleged differences with other Congress leaders.