Kolkata: A police complaint was registered against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Sunday for referencing Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death date in a post on his official X handle. The tribute, shared on January 23 to mark Netaji’s birth anniversary, sparked controversy.

The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, a self-proclaimed Hindutva organisation, filed the FIR at Bhawanipur Police Station in South Kolkata. Members of the group also held demonstrations near Netaji’s ancestral home on Elgin Road, condemning the content of Rahul Gandhi’s post, reported IANS.

Chandrachud Goswami, state president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, alleged that Rahul Gandhi was following in the footsteps of his ancestors, who, he claimed, first forced Netaji to leave the Congress and later the country.

"Rahul Gandhi and his ancestors always try to wipe out the memories of Netaji from the memory of the people of India. The people of India will punish him. As for us, we will always be protesting if anyone tries to distort information on Netaji," Goswami remarked.

Earlier in the week, the Congress leader had posted on X, stating August 18, 1945, as the presumed date of Netaji’s demise. This date corresponds to the day when a plane carrying Netaji, travelling from Saigon to USSR-occupied Manchuria, reportedly crashed in Taihoku (now Taipei).

However, none of the official inquiries conducted on Netaji's disappearance confirmed August 18, 1945, as his death date. The circumstances surrounding the freedom fighter's fate remain unresolved.

Rahul Gandhi’s post drew criticism across political lines, including from the All India Forward Bloc, the party Netaji founded after parting ways with the Congress. Leaders from both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP in West Bengal also criticised the Congress MP over his statement.

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