West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday directed the police to arrest those who make derogatory remarks about Subhas Chandra Bose, who is known by the honorific Netaji, reported PTI.

This came two days after Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nagendranath Roy, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, described Bose as a “war criminal” and questioned his role in India’s freedom struggle.

On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee held a rally in Kolkata against Roy’s remarks and criticised the Hindutva party for not taking action against him, reported The Times of India.

On Wednesday, Adhikari said that he has asked the police to take “stringent action against those making derogatory remarks about Netaji on social media”, PTI reported.

When asked if action would be taken against Roy, the chief minister said he would not “name anyone, but the law is equal for MLAs, MPs, leaders of any party, government officials or police officers”.

Roy had made adverse remarks about Bose in March as well, questioning whether he had the “capabilities” to create the Azad Hind Fauj, an armed force formed by Indian nationalists during World War 2.

In July, three leaders of the All India Forward Bloc filed a police complaint against Roy, alleging that the remarks not only demeaned Bose, but also undermined the legacy of India’s freedom movement, reported The Telegraph.

Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.

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