Form panel to declassify Netaji files: AIFB

New Delhi, Oct 15: All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) on Thrusday demanded Centre to form a panel headed by former Supreme Court (SC) judge and declare a time bound programme to declassify files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Netaji's family declassification of files relating Netaji will begin on January 23. However, he must assure inside Parliament by when the files will be declassified as the demand in this regard was first made on floor of the House. "The Government must form a panel headed by ex-SC judge to ensure all the files are declassified and that too in neutral manner," AIFB national secretary G Devarajan said on the sidelines of 'Citizen Convention on Netaji's Disappearance' held here today.

The AIFB, formed by Netaji himself, insisted that the Government declare exact number of Bose files with it and urged it too accept Justice M K Mukherjee Commission report.

The report submitted to then UPA Government in 2006, had rejected the theory that Bose had died in a plane crash.

The UPA Government had then rejected the report. Former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI veteran AB Bardhan, CPI Rajya Sabha member D Raja, AIFB general secretary Debabrata Biswas were amongst the leaders who were present at the convention.

During his meeting with 35 members of Netaji's family, Modi had assured them that the work of declassifying files relating to Bose will begin on January 23, birth anniversary of the late leader.

PTI