Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hoisted the national flag at the historic Red Fort to mark the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the ‘Azad Hind Sarkar’ by revolutionary freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
While speaking on the occasion, the PM honored Netaji for his invaluable contribution to the country’s struggle for Independence.
”Netaji had promised an India where everyone has equal rights and equal opportunities. He had promised a prosperous nation which was proud of its traditions, development in all areas. He had promised to uproot ‘divide and rule’. Even after so many years, those dreams remain unfulfilled,” PM Modi said.
‘We have reached ‘Swaraj’ after lakhs of sacrifices. It is our responsibility to maintain this ‘Swaraj’ with ‘Suraaj’,” the PM said.
”In the last 4 years, several measures were taken to strengthen the defence. Best technologies were brought to the defence. This govt has the strength to make big and tough decisions, it’ll continue. Be it the surgical strike or making the files of Netaji public, all such decisions were taken by our government,” the PM told the gathering.
The PM also made a veiled attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family for making attempts to keep “one family” above the rest.
”Efforts were made by the Gandhi-Nehru family to forget the contributions made by leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Subhash Chandra Bose in the Independence struggle,” he said.
“But now our government is changing all that,” he said.
Interestingly, the PM also donned the famous Azad Hind Fauj cap while attending the event.
PM Modi lamented that post Independence, India’s policies were based on the British system as “things were seen through British glasses”.
“Policies, including those related to education, had to suffer because of this,” he said.
Modi said had India benefited from the guidance of Patel and Bose, things would have been much better.
After hoisting the ‘Tiranga’, PM Modi also unveiled the plaque to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Azad Hind government.
The plaque will be placed at barrack number three at the Red Fort where members of the Azad Hind Fauj faced trial.
