New Delhi, Apr 20: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation filed by Pinakpani Mohanty that sought a judicial declaration that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) was responsible for securing India’s independence. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also rejected prayers to accord Bose the status of “National Son” and to notify his birth anniversary and the INA’s foundation day as national days.
The petitioner had asked the court to recognise January 23 (Bose’s birth anniversary) and October 21 (the INA’s 1943 foundation day) as national days, and to declare Bose’s birthplace in Cuttack a national museum. The apex court refused to entertain the plea, noting that similar petitions had been filed and dismissed previously.
When Mohanty sought to distinguish the current petition from earlier ones, the Bench questioned who had drafted the petition and expressed strong disapproval of repeated filings. “You had earlier also filed a similar plea?” the CJI Kant-led Bench asked, cautioning against misuse of PIL jurisdiction. The court observed that “the factual issues cannot be determined on judicial side” and added that the petitioner appeared to be pursuing the matter for popularity.
The Supreme Court directed its registry not to entertain any more writ petitions from the same petitioner in the guise of public interest on similar issues. Dismissing the PIL, the Bench reiterated its disapproval of a growing tendency to file pleas seeking judicial declarations on historical and political questions, saying such matters fall outside the proper scope of judicial proceedings.
The ruling follows a related episode on March 12, when the Supreme Court similarly declined to entertain a writ petition seeking directions to bring Netaji’s mortal remains from Japan to India. During that hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Netaji’s grandnephew Ashish Ray, sought permission to withdraw the petition after the Bench signalled its disinclination to examine the issue. While the court expressed deep respect for Netaji’s legacy, it cautioned against the timing and nature of such petitions and said it was mindful of the circumstances in which they were being filed. (IANS)
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/national/sc-dismisses-plea-to-declare-netaji-national-son-dismisses-ina-role-claim-1610780
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Publish Date: 2026-04-20 13:22:00
