Calcutta High Court Seeks Centre's Response In Plea Seeking Printing Of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Picture On Indian Currency Notes

The Calcutta High Court on Monday has sought the Union government's response in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to print images of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on Indian currency notes.

The plea moved by 94-year old freedom fighter, one Haren Bagchi Biswas contends as to why Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's picture cannot be printed on currency notes like Mahatma Gandhi's. The petitioner has further alleged that the government of India has not given due recognition to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's contribution towards the freedom struggle.  

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj on Monday directed the Centre to file a reply to the petition within 8 weeks after Additional Solicitor General Y.J Dastoor sought time to file an affidavit in this regard. The matter is slated to be heard next on February 21, 2022. 

"Learned Additional Solicitor General prays for eight weeks time to file the affidavit-in-opposition. List on 21st February, 2022", the order reads. 

A similar PIL had been moved before the Calcutta High Court in 2017 by one Prithwish Dasgupta contending as to why currency notes in the country cannot have photographs of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose or any other important personality. In this regard, a Bench comprising the then Chief Justice Nishita Mharte and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty had sought response from the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in this regard. 

In a related matter, the Madras High Court in September 2021 had dismissed a plea challenging Centre's rejection of a representation for printing the image of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on currency notes after observing that there is no fault in Central Government and RBI's decision to retain only the image of Mahatma Gandhi and of no other personality in the currency notes. 

"This Court is not underestimating the fight and the sacrifice made by Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose and other great leaders for freedom moment of this Country. There are many known heroes and unsung heroes. If everybody starts making such a claim there will not be an end", a Bench comprising Justices N. Kirubakaran and M. Duraiswamy of the Madras High Court had observed. 

Case Title: Haren Bagchi Biswas alias Harendranath Biswas v. Union of India 

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