CIC Asks PM, Home Minister To Consider Declassifying Files On Shastri’s Death, Dedicates Order To Late Journo Kuldip Nayar [Read Order]

Prof Acharyulu says labelling “top-secret” to make a doc top-secret not apt, cites Nambi Narayanan caseObserving that when Pentagon papers in the US and Netaji papers in India could be declassified why not Shastri papers also, the Central Information Commission has directed that the “so-called” classified papers on the death of India’s second Prime Minister. Prof Acharyulu says labelling “top-secret” to make a doc top-secret not apt, cites Nambi Narayanan case Observing that when Pentagon papers in the US and Netaji papers in India could be declassified why not Shastri papers also, the Central Information Commission has directed that the “so-called” classified papers on the death of India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri be placed before the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to take a call on declassifying them considering the long-standing demand of his family and citizens to know the mystery behind his death. “CPIOs of PMO, Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs to place all those so-called ‘classified papers’ before the Honourable Prime Minister and the Home Minister, who are recommended to consider the fundamental right to know and demand of the people, family members of Lal Bahadur Shastri and opinion of legendary senior journalists like late Kuldip Nayar, to declassify either through an expert Committee or by any other process to get the mystery probed and resolved. In view of the startling incidents that followed the mysterious death, such as killing of his personal doctor and assistant in two separate ‘accidents’, disappearance of records of Rajya Sabha Committee’s probe, and various significant points raised by journalists Kuldip Nayar, Anuj Dhar, Soutik Biswas, Advocate Anoop Bose, Shastri’s wife Mrs Lalitha, other family members, the Commission is of opinion that the Union Government has a duty to explain the nation why and how Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkent.