India's Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said on Thursday that he firmly believes freedom fighter Netaji Subash Chandra Bose "did not die in a plane crash" as popularly believed. However, the vice president clarified he did not have any evidence to back his statement.
The vice president was in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, and he offered tributes to freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on his death anniversary in Ramanathapuram. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the state accompanied the vice president during the visit.
Addressing presspersons, Radhakrishnan said, "Although I have no evidence, I believe Bose did not die in that plane crash only because freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a staunch follower of Netaji, had said it. He said 'Netaji did not die in that plane crash, and I met him'."
The vice president said he firmly believes Thevar's words as he "never lied in his life". "He followed the path of spirituality in his political journey also, that was his greatness," the vice president added.
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Paying tributes at Thevar's memorial, Radhakrishnan tweeted Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar dedicated his entire life "to creating a society free of ups and downs".
The vice president also recalled that when former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to make Thevar chief minister, in recognition of his sacrifices to the freedom movement, Thevar had refused it. "He told Nehru that all he wanted was justice to be done to Netaji," he added.
