Govt flayed for silence on Mukherjee Commission report

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) The Opposition in Rajya Sabha today flayed the government for its silence on the Justice Mukherjee Commission findings on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's disappearance, and demanded a full discussion on the subject.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Dr Barun Mukherjee (Forward Bloc), strongly criticised the government for its ''one-line response'' to the 671-page, three-volume report.

Regretting the government's rejection of the report, he said this showed its ''disrespect and neglect of the great son of India.'' He said the people had a right to know what happened to Netaji after his disappearance, and in spite of two earlier reports, people continued to be critical of the findings.

This showed that the attitude of the Congress and the government was never ''above suspicion'' and the issue of getting to the truth still remained.

Pointing out that the Commission was set up on May 14, 1999, Dr Mukherjee said many important files were not submitted to it. The Congress-led government was still inclined to stick to a ''biased stand,'' he added.

He accused the government of attempting to hide the truth and demanded that the government accept the Commission report.

He said the Japanese government should also be told that India had nothing to do with the ''ashes'' of Netaji kept in the Renkoji temple and that all finances to the Renkoji temple be stopped.

''This is not a simple matter. We demand truth and a full discussion on the subject,'' he said.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who was present in the House, said the government was not averse to a discussion on the subject and was ready for it.

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