Why Shivraj Patil Blocked the Netaji Probe Extension

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Shivraj Patil, long seen as Sonia Gandhi’s most reliable lieutenant, pioneered Parliamentary Standing Committees but courted major controversy—most notably when he refused to extend the Justice Mukherjee Commission probing Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s disappearance.

By NIRENDRA DEV

New Delhi, December 12, 2025 —Shivraj Patil’s political journey has always oscillated between institutional reform and institutional controversy. A close confidant of Sonia Gandhi and a key figure in Congress parliamentary strategy, Patil now faces renewed scrutiny over one of the most contentious decisions of his tenure as Home Minister: his refusal to extend the Mukherjee Commission probing Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s disappearance.

Sonia Gandhi’s Trusted Navigator in Parliament

Patil’s rise within the Congress was intimately tied to Sonia Gandhi’s early years in Parliament. In 1998, as the newly elected MP sought to navigate parliamentary procedures, Patil became her primary guide. His influence only grew: after Madhavrao Scindia’s death in 2001, he became Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha.

Despite losing the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Patil was elevated to the Union Home Ministry—a clear signal of Sonia’s trust. Congress insiders still recall that Sonia wanted Patil for the presidency too, a move the Left vetoed, citing his “soft” approach toward Hindutva issues—an irony unmatched even by communist standards. They accepted him as Home Minister, but not as President.

A Mixed Legacy: Reforms and Ruptures

As Lok Sabha Speaker under P.V. Narasimha Rao, Patil played a pioneering role in establishing Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees—a reform that drew praise from even BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and K.L. Sharma.

But his tenure was not free of controversy. He faced criticism for disqualifying MPs from the Janata Dal during defections—a move seen as reinforcing the Rao government’s numbers.

Why Patil Refused to Extend the Netaji Probe

The most enduring controversy, however, remains the abrupt closure of the Justice Manoj Mukherjee Commission.

The commission, set up in 1999 under the Vajpayee government to investigate whether Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose really died in the alleged 1945 plane crash, was scheduled to lapse on May 14, 2005.

Netaji’s family members,
Forward Bloc leaders, and civil society groups met Home Minister Patil and PM Manmohan Singh seeking an extension, arguing the probe remained incomplete.

Patil refused. According to accounts from the time, Patil even failed to offer Justice Mukherjee a seat when the chairman visited his office—a slight many interpreted as deliberate disrespect. The commission submitted its report on November 8, 2005.

UPA Rejects the Findings

The UPA government dismissed the commission’s explosive conclusion:

Netaji did not die in a plane crash, and
the ashes at Tokyo’s Renkoji Temple are not his.

Even more controversially, the detailed report was brushed aside by a junior Home Ministry official, a move that many saw as undermining judicial authority.

Ironically, despite having the highest number of MPs from West Bengal—in a state where the Netaji question is politically sacrosanct—the Left parties failed to mount pressure on the UPA.

Patil’s Final Word in Parliament

In 2006, Patil formally informed Parliament that the Manmohan Singh government “did not agree” with the Mukherjee Commission’s findings.

For many Netaji researchers and Bose’s relatives, that moment marked the quiet burial of India’s most enigmatic freedom-fighter mystery—not by evidence, but by political convenience.