Chandra Kumar Bose, a grandnephew of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, has demanded an investigation into the “authenticity” of Netaji’s cap currently on display at the Red Fort museum. His demand comes after an earlier claim that the cap had gone missing, which authorities later clarified.
Bose has now alleged that the cap, which has been returned to its glass display case in Delhi, may not be the original artefact.
‘Missing Cap’ Triggered Initial Controversy
The controversy began when members of an organisation called Open Platform for Netaji (OPN) found an empty display case at the INA Museum. Naveen Bamel, a lawyer and member of the organisation, recently visited the museum and noticed that the iconic cap was missing.
According to him, museum staff were unable to provide an immediate explanation for its absence.
Following this, Chandra Kumar Bose, a former leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, raised concerns on social media and addressed the issue directly to the Prime Minister.
In a post on X, he noted that he and others had handed over the cap to Modi, “which you had personally dedicated at the Netaji Museum, Red Fort – Delhi on 23 Jan – Netaji Jayanti (Patriots Day of India) 2019”. He described the cap’s disappearance as “highly embarrassing”.
ASI Says Cap Was Taken For Exhibition
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) later clarified that the cap had been taken to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in January as part of an exhibition. In a post on X, the ASI said the artefact had been returned safely to Delhi after the event concluded but could not immediately be put back on display due to a “technical issue” with the lock of the display case.
The agency added that the lock had since been fixed and the cap was again on public display.
Fresh Allegations Over Authenticity
After this clarification, Chandra Kumar Bose raised new doubts about the cap’s authenticity.
“Netaji researchers and those who had previously seen this said cap feel that this isn’t the original cap,” he wrote in another post on X, demanding an investigation to authenticate the artefact.
The ASI had not reacted to this fresh claim.
Questions Raised Over Handling Of Artefact
Bose also questioned the protocol of transporting such a valuable personal item.
He argued that moving a small artefact like the cap increases the risk of it being misplaced or damaged. “How can a personal cap of Netaji presented to the Prime Minister, who placed it in the display box at the Red Fort Museum be taken all over the place for display?” he asked.
He also criticised the lack of information provided to visitors about the artefact being temporarily moved.
Similar Episode In 2021
A similar controversy had surfaced in 2021 when reports suggested the cap had disappeared from the museum. The ASI had then clarified that the artefact had been loaned to the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata for a temporary exhibition along with around two dozen other items.
Supreme Court’s Observation On Netaji Ashes Petition
Meanwhile, in another development related to Subhas Chandra Bose’s legacy, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked Anita Bose Pfaff, Netaji’s daughter, to “come forward” and file a petition in her own name if she wanted the court’s intervention in bringing Netaji’s ashes from Japan’s Renkoji temple to India.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi declined to entertain a petition filed through Netaji’s grandnephew and author Ashish Ray. The court observed that the issue involves reported differences within the Bose family over the circumstances of Netaji’s death and the authenticity of the ashes, and therefore a “direct heir” should approach the court.
