File photo of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his residence in New Delhi today, an event he described on Tuesday as an "honour" for him.
The family members are expected to seek declassification of all the files related to Netaji whose mysterious disappearance 70 years ago continues to be a talking point.
The Prime Minister, in his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme on September 20, had said he would be receiving over 50 members of Netaji's family members at his residence in October.
"Over 50 members of Subhas babu's family, from various countries, will be coming... I am happy to welcome them," PM Modi had said.
Describing it as a momentous occasion for him, he had said that it would perhaps be the first time that the family members of Netaji would be together visiting the Prime Minister's residence.
"But the bigger happiness is for me as nobody in the Prime Minister's residence would have got such a chance earlier as I will be getting in October," he said.
Recalling his meeting with some members of the family in Kolkata in May, PM Modi had said, "I got an opportunity to spend some time with them. That day it was decided that the family of Subhas babu will visit the Prime Minister's residence... Last week, I got confirmation that over 50 members of Subhas babu are coming to visit the Prime Minister's residence."
The family members are expected to seek declassification of Netaji files in possession of the Centre as the West Bengal government has already released 64 such files.
Bose's grandnephew Chandra Bose has said that his family will appeal to PM Modi to write to countries including Russia, Japan, China, America, UK, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia to declassify all Netaji files lying with them.
"Netaji was in touch with people in all these countries. They all have classified files relating to him. We want to take this movement of declassification to the global level to get all the clues," he had said.
"Our main focus, however, would be on declassification of all Netaji files held by the government of India. If we do not have our own files declassified, then how can we ask other nations to do it?" Abhijit Ray, Netaji's another grand-nephew, had said.