Controversy: Why Was Netaji ‘Blacked Out’ At India Gate?

New Delhi: There was a huge furore over Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s hologram ‘disappearing’ at the India Gate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself unveiled the hologram on Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, on January 23. A granite statue of one of India’s greatest freedom fighters will be installed at India Gate, but till the time it’s built, it was announced that a digital image will be used at the site.

But the hologram ‘vanished’ two days ago, leading several Opposition leaders to voice their protest.

A group of Trinamool Congress members even protested at the India Gate on Thursday, with Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien urging the BJP government not to ‘black out’ Netaji.

“Let there be light. Why has Netaji been kept in the dark?” he tweeted.

On Friday, the Ministry of Culture clarified that the hologram of Netaji was switched due to extreme weather conditions.

“No question of any politics, the Netaji hologram was switched off because of extreme weather conditions as per standard international practice. It was switched on at midnight yesterday,” ANI quoted an official in the Culture ministry as saying.

When the matter was raised in Lok Sabha, BJP’s Jaskaur Meena said that the machine which projects the hologram was removed as it could not withstand strong winds.