Shashi Tharoor: If Subramanian Swamy knows Sunanda Pushkar's killer, let him tell the cops

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday attacked BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who recently claimed to know the details of the Sunanda Pushkar murder case. "Who is Swamy? If he knows the murderer, let him tell the police," Tharoor said.

In response, Subramanian Swamy said, "I don't talk without evidences, when the time comes I will tell all."

                             

Last week, Swamy alleged that Tharoor knew about his wife's killer and added that the Congress leader has been trying to cover up the case by telling lies. "Mr Tharoor did not kill her, but Mr Tharoor knows who killed her and facilitated her killing. He told lies and tried to cover up, so he will also be sent to jail, but won't get capital punishment," Swamy said.

Sunanda was found dead in a room of a five star in New Delhi on January 17, 2013, a day after she and Tharoor checked in because their official house was allegedly being painted. The two had been married twice earlier. Tharoor was then the Minister of State for Human Resource Development in theManmohan Singh government.

Last week, breaking his silence in the case, Tharoor had said he stands by his statements on the death of his wife, saying that he is troubled by the recent developments which have not allowed him to mourn the death of his wife in peace.

Making his first public statement since the Delhi Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) on Sunanda's death being a case of murder, the former Union minister said, "There has been an unnecessary public controversy based on misinformation and outright lies in this matter."

Delhi Police has registered a murder case in connection with Sunanda's death under Section 302 of the IPC on the basis of an AIIMS medical report that concluded that her death was unnatural and due to poisoning. An Special Investigation Team (SIT) was later formed to investigate the case which has begun the probe from scratch.

Tharoor is also likely to be questioned by the SIT later this week in the case.

Joseph Stalin killed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Siberia prison, claims Subramanian Swamy

Claiming that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in a plane crash in 1945 but was killed at the instance of Soviet supremo Joseph Stalin, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy Saturday demanded declassification of secret files on the leader.

Seeking declassifciation of files to unravel the mystery behind the legendary nationalist leader and freedom fighter's death, Swamy blamed Stalin of killing Bose in captivity in Siberia.

Participating in a Merchant Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised event here, Swamy, however, admitted that disclosing the secret files might jeopardise India's relation with Britain and Russia but assured of taking up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"According to the papers that exist with us, Bose had faked his death and escaped to Manchuria in China which was under Russian occupation, hoping Russia would look after him. But Stalin put him in a jail in Siberia. Somewhere around 1953, he hanged or suffocated Bose to death," said Swamy.

Swamy also claimed that the then Indian prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was aware about Bose being held captive in Yakutsk Prison in Siberia.

"Declassification of Netaji documents in haste and without judging the consequences would be difficult. India's relations with Britain and Russia may be affected, but I will persuade the prime minister to disclose the documents," said Swamy.

"The mystery of Bose's disappearance must be solved and the files must be declassified. Because it was Bose's heroics that played a catalytic role in the British leaving India despite winning the world war," added Swamy.

A host of Netaji's descendants, enthusiasts and historians and organisations have been campaigning for declassification of secret files claimed to be in possession of various government departments.