Rs 1.5 cr sought for preserving Gumnami Baba's belongings

Lucknow, Aug 17: Uttar Pradesh government on Monday sought the Assembly's approval for Rs 1.5 crore for the safekeep of belongings of Gumnami Baba, who many believe was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in disguise, in a museum in Faizabad.

In the supplementary budget presented in the UP Assembly, the government sought Rs 1.5 crore for exhibiting the belongings of Gumnami Baba in Ram Katha Museum and Art Gallery at Ayodhya. [Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose death mystery: Who was 'Gumnami Baba'?]

Gumnami Baba was a mysterious Indian monk who in 1985 lived at Ram Bhawan in Faizabad near Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

Though his real identity and activities remained obscure, a great number of people maintain that he was freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

The Allahabad High Court had in January, 2013 directed the state government to consider setting up of a museum at Faizabad where the articles of late Gumnami Baba as well as other ancient items may be kept scientifically under the supervision of a qualified person.

The Lucknow bench of the high court had also directed the state government as well as the Centre to repossess all items of Gumnami Baba taken by Mukherjee Commission and submit these to the treasury of Faizabad, which in turn, should transfer the items to the museum to be established at an appropriate place notified by the state.

PTI