'India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose,' Doval said

The Congress has hit out at the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval over his claim that the partition of India in 1947 would not have happened had Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose been alive.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted that Doval has joined “the tribe of distorians.”

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had the audacity to fearlessly challenge the British and India would not have been partitioned if he was there at that time, Ajit Doval said on Saturday.

‘Jinnah said I can accept only one leader- Subhas Bose’: Doval

He added Bose was determined to fight the British for India’s Independence and never wanted to beg for freedom, adding he not only wanted to end political subjugation but felt that the political, social, economic and cultural mindset of the people has to be changed and “they should feel like free birds in the sky”.

The National Security Advisor (NSA) said this while delivering the first Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture organised by the industry chamber ASSOCHAM.

In the course of his address, Doval delved into various aspects of Bose’s life and noted that he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi. But at the same time, Doval noted that Bose had a deep respect for Gandhi.

“The seed, the idea that came to his mind was ‘I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it’,” Doval said.

“India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose,” he added.