Netaji's ancestral house under renovation, family says govt trespassing

Some family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Tuesday objected to the ongoing renovation work being undertaken by West Bengal government at their ancestral house at Kodalia in South 24 Paraganas district.

“What they are doing is trespassing on a private property which was handed down by Prabhabati Bose, Netaji's mother, to her seven sons. There is no report of Netaji ever spending a night in the Kodalia house and obviously there is no connection with the INA (Indian National Army),” spokesperson of Netaji's family Chandra Bose told PTI.

He said extensive changes, including destruction of the boundary wall, have been carried out by the government without even informing the family members, who have now decided to file a writ petition in the Calcutta high court.

When contacted, West Bengal State Heritage Commission Chairman Shuvaprasanna said, "We are only trying to restore the property and conserve it so that memories related with Netaji can be preserved. We have no intentions of acquiring it".

The Kodalia house in South 24-Parganas district was built by Haranath Bose, Netaji's grandfather, over 150 years ago and has been repaired and maintained in good condition, the Bose family said.

"The chief minister was informed in writing about the circumstances of the Kodalia property and an interview with her was sought but there was no response," the family said in a statement. Netaji was born in Cuttack and spent his life at many places. He never built a house of his own and stayed at his father's or brother's houses.

His father's house at Elgin Road, where he spent a few years of his life, has already been converted to Netaji Bhavan.