Netaji Subhas Bose’s Grandnephew Quits BJP; Know Why

Kolkata: Chandra Bose, the grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, resigned from BJP on Wednesday.

Chandra, who joined BJP in 2016 and contested in the 2016 West Bengal assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket, complained that promises of propagating Netaji’s vision was not fulfilled by the saffron party.

“When I joined BJP I was promised that I would be allowed to propagate the inclusive ideology of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Sarat Chandra Bose. But nothing of that sort happened,” he said.

“My discussions (with BJP) then centred around inclusive ideology of the Bose brothers (Netaji and his elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose, also a freedom fighter). My understanding, both then and later, had been that I would propagate this ideology across the country on the BJP platform. It was also decided to form an Azad Hind Morcha within the framework of BJP with the primary objective to propagate Netaji’s ideology of uniting all communities as Bharatiyas, irrespective of religion, caste and creed,” Chandra stated in his resignation letter to BJP president J P Nadda.

“My ardent promotional efforts to achieve these laudable objectives have not received any support from the BJP, either at the Centre or at the state level in West Bengal. I had put forward a detailed proposal suggesting a Bengal strategy to reach out to the people of the state. My proposals were ignored,” added Bose, who was appointed West Bengal BJP vice-president in 2016 before being dropped during the 2020 organisational reshuffle.

Chandra had spoken out against the state leadership over several issues and also opposed the CAA in 2019.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the party wasn’t too concerned about Chandra’s resignation as he had not been in touch for a long time.