Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Ananta Maharaj on Friday found himself in legal trouble after a first information report (FIR) was registered against him over his alleged derogatory remarks against Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, said officials.
The FIR was registered in Cooch Behar following a complaint by a local against Maharaj aka Nagendranath Roy. An investigation has been launched by officials and action could be taken against the Rajya Sabha member after a probe.
Roy is an influential leader among the Rajbanshi community and hails from Cooch Behar. Recently, he described Bose as a war criminal, questioning his leadership and the role of Azad Hind Fauj in India's freedom struggle.
He claimed Bose never had the potential to organise and raise the Azad Hind Fauj and the army consisted British-Indian soldiers, who were handed over by Germany during World War II. He also claimed that the Indian National Army (INA) was misused by Bose.
Action against remarks over Netaji
The action against Roy comes a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed police to take action and arrest those who made objectionable remarks about Netaji on social media. He warned that action will be taken even against MPs, MLAs and government officials.
Following his directive, six FIRs were registered across West Bengal. The police said one person has also been arrested from Islampur area of Uttar Dinajpur district over it.
Banga Bibhushan award withdrawn from Roy
Roy's remarks also forced the West Bengal government to withdrew the Banga Bibhushan, which is state's highest civilian award, from Roy. The award was bestowed to Roy, who is a vocal critic of the SIR of electoral rolls, by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in February this year during an event in Kolkata.
However, Roy defended his remarks even after the controversy.
"Whatever I have said about Netaji is not my words. It's officially documented and is there in the national archives for all to see. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of the country at the time. Whether those documents are true or false, it is up to the Congress to answer," he told reporters outside the Parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday.
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