Political parties continued to indulge in a vicious tug of war over the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slamming the Central Government for renaming the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in quest of political publicity.
While speaking during the celebration of Bose’s 126th birth anniversary, Banerjee said, “Today some people are engaged in renaming the islands at Andaman and Nicobar in order to gain publicity,” reminding how the great freedom fighter “himself had named the islands when he had gone to inspect the Cellular Jail there.”
The islands were named Sahid and Swaraj by Bose in 1943. However in 2018 the Centre renamed the islands as Swaraj Dweep and Shahid Dweep. Besides, the Ross Island was also named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Neil Ilands too was then renamed.
Incidentally Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced the renaming of the islands of Andaman and Nicobar after the recipients of military awardees who laid down their lives for the country.
Though Banerjee would not name the Prime Minister she went on to accuse his Government for dissolving the Planning Commission envisaged by Netaji and rechristening it as Niti Ayog.