New Delhi: Ajit Doval said on Saturday what many Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose followers believe about the most defining moment in India and Pakistan’s history.
In a comment that could trigger a political storm, the National Security Advisor (NSA) stated that India would not have been partitioned had Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose been alive.
Delivering the 1st Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial lecture here, organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Doval said Netaji showed audacity at various stages of his life and even had the guts to challenge Mahatma Gandhi.
“But Gandhi was at the prime of his political career. Then he resigned and when he came out of the Congress he started his struggle afresh,” Doval said.
“I am not saying good or bad but there are very few parallels in Indian history and world history of people who had the audacity to sail against the current — and not an easy current,” Doval said.
Unfortunately, Netaji was a lonely person and had no country supporting him except Japan, Doval added.
“The idea that came to his mind was ‘I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it’. India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose,” Doval said.
