There can be no proper celebrations if people do not come to Netaji’s house (now referred to as Netaji Research Bureau) to offer tributes on his birth anniversary, Ms Banerjee pointed out.
The divide in the political spectrum in the State was reflected here on Wednesday in the course of celebrations of the 116th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose with the Trinamool Congress government organising an event at his residence and the leaders of the Left parties paying tributes in front of his statue in the Maidan area of the city. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a departure from convention and chose to attend the function at Netaji’s residence though a minister was sent to the one organised by the Netaji Janmautsav Committee in front of his statue as a representative of her government. The State leadership of the party Netaji had founded in 1939 took exception to Ms Banerjee’s move. “By not coming here whom did you disrespect -- the people, the Left Front?… No, it is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose whom you have disrespected,” said All India Forward Bloc State Secretary Ashok Ghosh, directing his words at the Chief Minister. He also regretted that t