SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015 (PAGE 16) DAILY EXCELSIOR, …

NEW DELHI, May 9:

The Prime Minister's Office(PMO), while accepting theexistence of 41 files related toNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose,including two declassified docu-ments, has refused to disclosethe contents taking a positionsimilar to that of the previousCongress-led UPA government.

"Disclosure of documentscontained in these files wouldprejudicially affect relationswith foreign countries. As such,these files are exempted from

disclosure under Section 8(1)(a)read with Section 8(2) of theRight to Information Act," thePMO said in reply to RTIactivist Subhash Agrawal.

The section 8(2) says,"Notwithstanding anything in theOfficial Secrets Act, 1923 nor anyof the exemptions permissible inaccordance with sub-section(1), apublic authority may allow accessto information, if public interest indisclosure outweighs the harm tothe protected interests." A list offiles unclassified/classified/declassified with number and sub-

ject matter relating to NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose isenclosed," the PMO said.

The PMO gave a list of 41files, of which two related to INAtreasure and appointment of aninquiry commission to go into cir-cumstances of death, have beendeclassified and sent to theNational Archives of India. Theoffice, in its response, admittedthat there are 10 files which areunclassified but still invokedexemption clause of section 8(1)to withhold them from disclosure.

Four 'Top Secret' files whichare held by the PMO include mis-cellaneous correspondence withand about widow and daughter ofNetaji, transfer of his ashes toIndia and two files on the JusticeMukherjee Commis-sion ofInquiry looking into his death/dis-appearance, it said. There are 20files classified as 'Secret' includ-ing one related to acquisition ofJankinath Bhavan - birth place of

Netaji - by then Orissa govern-ment, five files from the late1960s on the appointment ofinquiry committee to go into thecircumstances of "death" ofNetaji, correspondence with andabout his wife and daughter,another inquiry commission tolook into treasure of INA, two ref-erences from Samar Guha, MP onhis disappearance, Bharat Ratnaaward to Netaji and number offiles on his death/disappearanceamong others.

The rest of the files are cate-gorised as 'Classified' whichinclude issues related to mortalremains kept in Rankoji templein Japan while on the rest noparticular subject is mentioned.Commenting on the develop-ment, RTI applicant Agrawal

said, "Public interest definitelyoutweighs the protected as sev-eral commissions/committeeshave been formed by the Uniongovernment to probe mystery indeath of Netaji Subhas ChandraBose."

"The CPIO (Central PublicInformation Officer) did noteven specify name of the coun-try with which relations are like-ly to be prejudicially affected,"Mr Agrawal said.

The RTI activist said theBJP-led government has refusedto make public nearly 39 classi-fied files on the mysterious dis-appearance of Netaji and relatedmatters, in sharp contrast to thedemands of disclosure raised byits senior leaders when inOpposition.(UNI)

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41 files related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose are with Govt