Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew quits BJP, criticises party’s ‘divisive politics’
Chandra Kumar Bose said he could not work with the BJP under present circumstances.
Chandra Kumar Bose, the grandnephew of Subhas Chandra Bose, on Wednesday quit the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that he could not work with the party “under present circumstances” and that it is going on the “wrong track” in West Bengal, The Indian Express reported.
“I gave a lot of proposals to the party on how we should work which were not accepted,” he said. “The party is moving on the wrong track in [West] Bengal. There is polarisation, vote-bank politics and divisive politics that ruined our chances.”
Chandra Kumar Bose said that his principles are in line with his grandfather Sarath Chandra Bose and his younger brother Subhash Chandra Bose.
“They believe in bringing together [people] of every religion and represent them as Indians,” he said, according to ANI. “They fought against the politics of division and communalism.”
Chandra Kumar Bose, who had joined the BJP in 2016, alleged that his efforts to propagate the ideology of his grandfathers received no support from the party at the state or Central level.
“I had put forward a details proposal suggesting a Bengal strategy to reach out to the people of [West] Bengal,” he wrote in his resignation letter, according to Hindustan Times. “My proposals were ignored.” Given these unfortunate circumstances, it has become impossible for me to continue in all conscience as a member of the BJP.”
He advised the BJP to unite all communities.
BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that Bose was not in touch with party officials for a long time, reported PTI.
Chandra Kumar Bose contested elections on BJP’s ticket in the 2016 West Bengal Assembly and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He had also opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019, going against the party line.