Port Blair: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the previous governments at the Centre of not giving due recognition to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel despite their immense contribution to India’s Independence Movement and nation building, and termed it ‘injustice’ towards both the stalwarts.
“Whenever we go through Netaji’s life events, we always feel that injustice has been meted out to Netaji. Today, when we see children studying history, then we feel that Netaji did not get the importance that he deserved.
“Now, the time has come that everyone who had contributed, laid down their lives for the country’s independence get the place they deserved in history,” Shah said while taking a veiled dig at the Congress during the inauguration and laying of foundation stone ceremonies for various development projects from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island here.
Shah also alleged that for several years, efforts were made to ‘diminish the contribution” of many leaders who fought for India’s independence from the British rule.
“The same had happened with Sardar Patel too. He had worked to make India stronger. He did not get that recognition he deserved,” the Home Minister said.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up various initiatives to accord the recognition that Bose deserves, including celebrating his birthday on January 23 as ‘ParakramDiwas’ and naming of Ross Island after him, and also mentioned about the Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
“The responsibility of making the India that Netaji and Veer Savarkar dreamt of rests on the youth of our country. Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav is being organised across the country to inculcate the feeling of patriotism among the youth,” he said.
He urged the youth of the country to visit Andaman and Nicobar Island as it is ‘a place of pilgrimage of Indian independence’. Shah also said that various projects would be taken up to develop the Netaji Subhas Bose Island, including a grand monument of Bose.
