West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Purkayastha at the release of the confidential files on Netaji at Kolkata Police Museum in Kolkata on Friday. (Press Trust of India photo)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today demanded that the Centre
declassify files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and said it was unfortunate that the mystery regarding his disappearance remained unresolved in the last 70 years.
"This is the beginning of the future. The people should know the truth. Let the Central government also declassify the files (on Netaji). Let good sense prevail on all of us. You cannot suppress the truth. Let truth come out. It will come out today or tomorrow," Ms Banerjee, who visited Kolkata Police Museum where the declassified files have been kept, said.
Asked that it is said India's relations with some countries might be affected if files on Netaji with the Centre were declassified, she said "Now we have got independence. There is no harm in honouring those leaders who got us independence. We should salute them. Before declassifying the files we have seen that internationally nothing will happen. If we have bilateral relation with a country it is necessary to review it."
"In 70 years, the mystery has not been solved. We did not know what happened (to Netaji). It is unfortunate. How long you can keep it under secrecy," she said.
On questions whether there was any attempt to hide something, she said, "What you can guess, I can also guess. Let the country face the reality. There is nothing to hide. Why don't you declassify the files."
On whether there might be law and order problem after declassification of these files, "I don't think that there will be any law and order problem. It is a mere excuse. If there is any law and order problem, we are there to tackle it."
Earlier in the day, Ms Banerjee said in a tweet "Today is a historic day. Our government has made all Netaji files public. People have a right to know about the brave son of India."