Terming Gumnami Baba as Netaji a sinister campaign, must be probed: Bose family

Kolkata, Feb 21 (IANS) Accusing the Delhi based non-profit organisation Mission Netaji of running a "sinister campaign" to taint Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's image by claiming that the leader lived in Uttar Pradesh as a hermit named Gumnami Baba, the members of Bose's family on Thursday urged the Centre to release all Intelligence Bureau (IB) files on the recluse.

Claiming that it was a "criminal offence" to term Gumnami Baba as Netaji in disguise without any documentary or photographic evidence of the same, BJP leader and Bose's grand nephew Chandra Kumar Bose said the Central government must start an inquiry to find out who are supporting such false campaigns against Bose.

"I am sorry to say that Mission Netaji has not just betrayed the Bose family but the entire nation and the honourable Prime Minister. Because without any documentary or photographic evidence, one cannot arrive at the conclusion that Gumnami Baba of Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in disguise," Chandra told reporters.

"We demand that the government of India and the Uttar Pradesh government release the Intelligence Bureau files that might be there on Gumnami Baba before the Lok Sabha elections. That would reveal the identity of this anonymous person. I am sure that the Prime Minister would positively respond to this," he said.

Chandra accused Anuj Dhar and Chandrachur Ghose, the founder-trustee members of Mission Netaji, of betraying the nation by spreading falsehood in their yet to be released book in which they have allegedly described the mysterious sant as Bose.

He also criticised director Srijit Mukherjee, who is making a film titled 'Gumnami,' for allegedly claiming in an interview that his upcoming movie will portray Bose as the "penniless recluse."

"I want to know who are the people supporting this distortion and who are funding Mission Netaji to spread such falsehood to taint and derogate Netaji's image? Who are these traitors? We appeal to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to start an inquiry by the IB," he said.

Bose's nephew Dwarkanath Bose claimed that the results of the DNA test of the hermit's teeth found in his belongings and the examination of his handwriting by experts found no similarity between Gumnami Baba and Bose.

"When the Mukherjee Commission was conducting its inquiry, a DNA test was conducted with the teeth of Gumnami Baba that was found in his room in Faizabad, but the results were negative. It had no similarity with the DNA sample provided by the Bose family," he said, adding that the handwriting was examined by experts from four countries.

He also said the family members have written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to release the report of Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission, set up in June last year to probe the identity of Gumnami Baba.