A day after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, alleged that the freedom fighter’s cap had gone missing from the Netaji Museum at Red Fort in Delhi, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) clarified on Friday that it was in safe custody after being taken away for an exhibition at Port Blair recently.
However, in a social media post later in the day, Chandra Kumar Bose said that those who had previously seen the cap feel the restored cap wasn’t original. He also sought investigation and proper authentication in the matter.
In a post on X on Thursday, Chandra Kumar Bose, a former BJP leader, had said that he and his family members had personally handed over Netaji’s cap to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Dear Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, you may recall that I, along with members of my family, our friend Shri @SuparnoSatpathy and many others from the Open Platform for Netaji (OPN), had handed over Netaji’s cap to you. You had personally dedicated it at the Netaji Museum, Red Fort, on January 23, 2019 — Netaji Jayanti (Patriots’ Day of India),” the post said.
He also shared photographs of the event. “A member of OPN, Advocate Naveen Bamel, had recently visited the museum and found Netaji’s cap missing. No one at ASI could explain where it had gone. Netaji is our tallest leader and this is highly embarrassing. I shall be obliged if you kindly look into this matter,” Chandra Kumar Bose said, adding that it would amount to an act of sacrilege if the historic artefact had been misplaced.
Responding to a query by The , an ASI official said, “The original cap is in safe custody at the Red Fort. The same was taken to Port Blair for display in temporary exhibition during Parakram Divas celebrations. Therefore, the place/display box was empty from January 19 to 25.”
However, the official added that after Parakram Divas, the cap was brought back and put on display. However, due to a problem with the lock, it was once again removed and placed in safe custody. “The lock is repaired now, and it will be put on display again today,” the official said.
Responding to this on Friday afternoon, hours after the cap was restored by ASI, Bose – in a social media post – said, “Grateful to Hon’ble Prime Minister-Shri @narendramodi ji for taking prompt action on the #NetajiCap issue. It is his personal intervention that Netaji’s cap has been placed back in the Netaji and INA museum at the Red Fort.”
“However, Netaji researchers and those who had previously seen this said cap feel that this isn’t the original cap. Shall be obliged if an investigation & proper authentication could be done to establish that this is the original- #NetajiCap, he added.
In 2021, there were reports that the cap had gone missing from the museum, but the ASI had clarified then that the artefact had been loaned out along with two dozen-odd artefacts to the Victoria Memorial in .
