Mamata Banerjee gives CD containing Subhas Chandra Bose files to president

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today handed over a CD containing files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to President Pranab Mukherjee.

"Visited Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was an honour to hand over the digitized version of declassified Netaji files to the President of India," Banerjee said in a tweet.

Earlier, talking to reporters Banerjee said that she would also hand over copies of the CD to other ministers, stressing everyone has a right to know the historical details.

"The Bose files which we had... 64 files we have declassified. We have sent the CD to Prime Minister, we are sending to Home Minister, Speaker Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Chairman," she told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The declassified files and cabinet papers, she said, contained information "about Quit India movement, historical things. We want to make them public, phase by phase so that people of the country should know".

Banerjee further said whatever information was there with the central government with regard to Bose should be disclosed in the best interest of the country as "people have a right to know."

Banerjee said she had also released 400 files relating to state cabinet decisions at the time of Independence.

"The Cabinet decisions at the time of Independence... that time it was not the paper decision, it was a action paper. So more than 400 files which were Cabinet decision... all those we have digitised and made hard disk and made public," she added.

Asked whether she would put pressure on the central government to release files relating to Bose, she said, "We don't believe in pressure tactics. We believe our young generation should have information. Our historians should have information, our country men should have information, press should have information."

Answering questions on electoral reforms, Banerjee said these were very much needed to combat corruption in elections and it was time for all political parties to agree to that.

"Election Commission should have the financial power, not any political party (for conducting elections). For candidates, Election Commission has a limit on the quantum of fund it can spend. But there is no such limit for a political party. Small parties, like us (TMC), cannot spend that much money... Poor people don't have enough to eat, but at the time of election someone says we will give TV, radio, money," she said.

On whether she would raise the issue at Chief Ministers' conference tomorrow, Banerjee said, "Whatever platform I get, I (will) raise. If we can save the money, we can prepare scheme for youth."

She also urged the Centre to help states like West Bengal and Kerala which are facing financial problems.

"Despite the odd situation which we are facing because of legacy of previous government, our performance is very good," she said, adding that West Bengal had not got anything from the Centre despite repeated requests.

Referring to rationalisation of the centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS) by the central government, she said the Centre has taken back more than what it gave.