Sugata Bose, chairman of the Netaji Research Bureau and the leader’s great-nephew, has objected to some of the exhibits at an ongoing exhibition commemorating Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary at the Victoria Memorial Hall.

Bose stated in a letter to the secretary and curator of Victoria Memorial that a “fake copy” of Subhas Chandra Bose’s letter of resignation from the Indian Civil Service is being displayed at the exhibition. He has also expressed shock that Netaji Research Bureau has been mentioned as the “source” below this fake. Bose wrote that VMH “never contacted NRB for help with your exhibition” and asked on what basis has it given acknowledgments.

The Gardiner Professor of oceanic history at Harvard University said the original resignation letter in Netaji’s own handwriting and signed by him was in the India Office Records of London. A photocopy of it was taken by Sisir Bose and Krishna Bose in September 1971 which is on display at Netaji Museum at Netaji Bhavan for 50 years. The letter was published in facsimile form for the first time in the book Itihasher Sandhane by Krishna Bose. Bose has urged VMH’s secretary and curator Jayanta Sengupta to take down the “fake” exhibit.

Sengupta said he was away attending to a medical emergency and was not able to comment.

Bose has said in the letter that the photograph of Netaji disguised as Md Ziauddin was also fake. “No photographs were taken or allowed to be taken of Netaji in disguise during his ‘mahanishkraman’ or great escape.”

There is a way to display relics, said the NRB chairman. “At the museum at Netaji Bhavan, we have a photo of Netaji with Emilie Schenkl and beside it in a glass enclosure we have the black overcoat that Netaji was wearing in the photo to underline the authenticity of the relic displayed,” said Bose.

Sengupta, had earlier stated: “There is a range of artefacts related to Netaji and INA at the exhibition which have been loaned from the Archaeological Survey of India museum on Netaji at the Red Fort Complex in Delhi. And there are also the original files from the National Archives of India known as Netaji Files. But the bulk of the exhibition consists of graphic panels that use facsimiles or digital reproductions of historic photographs and documents like Netaji’s many letters whose originals are with Netaji Research Bureau which houses a museum on Netaji.”