Guwahati (Assam): Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid floral tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Guwahati on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary on Saturday and said the nation is grateful to him.

While talking to ANI, Shah said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a decision that Subhas babu’s 125th anniversary will be celebrated across the nation with excitement and exaltation. Subhas babu was a powerful student, born-patriot, skilled administrator, skilled supervisor and was an excellent leader.”

“Netaji left Indian Civil Service (ICS) and jumped into the battleground of freedom fight. He was party president in Congress twice. He formed Azad Hind Fauj. From Kolkata to Germany via Russia, he has travelled more than 7,000 kilometres by road, and lived in a submarine, which was almost 27,000 deep and worked for nation’s freedom,” Shah said.

“Today the nation is grateful to him, I myself paid tribute to Subhash babu and I hope we all participate in PM Modi’s decision to celebrate 125th birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose and especially educate children and youth about Netaji’s life. May lakhs of children take inspiration from his life and contribute to the development of the country,” he added.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit Kolkata’s Netaji Bhawan at Elgin Road on Saturday. He will also preside over the inaugural function of the ‘Parakram Diwas’ celebrations at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.

Born to advocate Janakinath Bose in Odisha’s Cuttack on January 23, 1897, Netaji went on to play a crucial role in India’s freedom movement. He is also known for establishing the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is controversy over Bose’s death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in a (Right to Information Act) RTI in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident.