IMPHAL: Residents of Manipur’s Moirang have demanded that the tag of “war criminal”, which was labelled with legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name by organisations including the United Nations and Commonwealth of Nations, be withdrawn.

The demand was raised by the residents during a signature campaign started by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha in Moirang on Wednesday. Sharing their reactions, people said Netaji could never be a war criminal and stressed that the tag be withdrawn from his name.

A programme was also organised at the INA Complex, Moirang in which speakers spoke about Netaji saying Netaji was a freedom fighter who had dreamt of making India independent and made relentless efforts to make the British leave the country to achieve his goal. He can never be called a war criminal, the speakers said.

Former head of the department of political science, Moirang College Madhu Singha said people of Manipur had extended their support to Netaji’s Azad Hind Fauj and many sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence. Netaji, who had hoisted the first tricolour in Moirang, will remain alive in the hearts of people here forever, Singha said.

Well-known researcher on Netaji Y. Rajeshwar Singh spoke about the efforts made by Netaji in making Azad Hind Fauj a strong force which compelled the British to leave India. He demanded that the war criminal tag be withdrawn from Netaji’s name at the earliest.

North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO)’s former general manager I. Singh said Netaji had a “special relation” with the Northeast and sought withdrawal of the war criminal tag from the freedom fighter’s name.

Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha’s president for Assam and the Northeast Biswadeep Gupta said the Mahasabha had begun the signature campaign in south Assam’s Silchar on January 23 and their target is to collect at least two lakh signatures from across the Northeast. The office of the Mahasabha began its journey in Manipur on Wednesday with its inauguration in Imphal and the work to strengthen the party’s base in the state will begin soon, Gupta added.