The All India Forward Bloc, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged the government to formally accept the findings of the Justice Mukherjee Commission and stop efforts to bring the “so-called ashes” of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from the Renkoji Temple in Japan to India.
General secretary G. Devarajan said that the government constituted the Mukherjee Commission in 1999 to probe Netaji’s disappearance and the reported plane crash of August 18, 1945. The commission examined records and testimonies from India, Japan and Taiwan. It submitted its report in 2005, concluding that Netaji did not die in the crash and that the ashes at the Renkoji Temple do not belong to him.
Mr. Devarajan said repeated attempts to bring the ashes to India ignore these findings and turn the issue into a matter of publicity rather than truth. He asked the government to hold off on any such move until an independent investigation establishes the identity of the ashes.
His letter comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court seeking a response from the Centre on a plea by Netaji’s daughter seeking directions for return of his “ashes” from Tokyo’s Renkoji temple. A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice to the Centre seeking its response on the plea filed by Anita B. Pfaff, daughter of Netaji.
Mr. Devarajan’s letter also calls for the government to declassify all files, documents and intelligence reports relating to Netaji. He further urged the government to set up a Special Investigation Team of investigators, historians and experts to examine records from India, Japan, Taiwan and Russia, alongside a fresh Commission of Inquiry with a mandate to determine what happened to Mr. Devarajan.
Mr. Devarajan said Netaji remains a national hero whose legacy extends beyond any single party, and that the country deserves answers based on evidence rather than symbolic gestures. He urged the Modi government to act on the demands and resolve the matter.
Published - August 13, 2026 07:40 pm IST