No information on Modi’s imprisonment over Satyagraha for Bangladesh’s independence
The Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) could not provide any information regarding incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi’s claim that he had participated in the ‘satyagraha‘ (movement) in support of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence and had even gone to jail for it, reports Indian news portal The Wire.
The PMO, in response to an RTI (Right to Information) query, said that it has no record on Modi’s arrest, lodging in jail and release, the report added.
During his visit to Dhaka on Bangladesh’s 50th Independence anniversary on 26 March 2021, Narendra Modi had claimed that he had participated in the ‘satyagraha‘ in support of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence and had even gone to jail for it.
During visiting the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar, Modi was quoted as saying, “I must have been 20-22 years of age when I along with several of my colleagues offered a satyagraha in support of Bangladesh’s struggle for Independence. I was arrested while supporting the struggle for Bangladesh’s independence and went to jail.”
The opposition leaders slammed the Indian prime minister for his speech and demanded documents that he offered a satyagraha in support of Bangladesh’s war of Independence, was arrested and went to jail.
Later, on 27 March that year, Jayesh Gurnani had filed his RTI application with the PMO for certified copies of a few documents.
He sought for information on five things – what was the allegation Modi arrested for; is there any FIR; is there any document of the arrest; in which jail had he landed after the arrest; and is there any document on his release.
The Wire report said, “The PMO, however, was unable to provide Gurnani with any specific response. It only stated that “the information as available on records may be accessed on the PMO website under the hyperlink ‘PM’s Speeches’.” The PMO also added that it only “maintains official records of Shri Narendra Modi since he assumed the office of Prime Minister of India in 2014”.”